Diary of a Metal Mommy

Goodbye, Blogger...

2008-10-12T20:07:00.005-05:00

...Hello, Wordpress! I'm making a move, my friends. No, we're not moving houses again, (!) I am making a blogging move from here at Blogger to a new Wordpress blog. It's time for a change! This is the very last post here you will see. So have a drink with me as we toast a farewell to this Diary and come on over to my new pad....see you there....http://metalmommy.wordpress.com/

Happy Birthday to my friend Kim!

2008-09-26T14:07:00.014-05:00

It's Kim's birthday! I love what Stephanie says-- "That's so Maven!" (she is the Maven of Mischief, after all...) And Oh, the Mischief. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the magic of my Kim in my life. Unfortunately because of schedules and overall life, I don't get to see her nearly enough--but a good dose of Kim is definitely what's needed more often than not. For her birthday I thought I'd give you a nice photo album tour of my silly friend...

This may be my all-time favorite shot. It brings back an evening where I laughed so hard I thought I would pass out! The story is a bit long to re-live here but let's just say it involved a tuft of hair that Stephanie pulled surprisingly from her head after a bout with a power tool. (again, long story!) We had just finished a Feminine Hijinx episode and were already giggly...this just put us over the edge. This wad of hair ended up everywhere...and I mean EVERYWHERE. Good times my friends, good times.

Speaking of the podcast, starting that thing up eventually led to Kim and I's stint on FM107's Undiscovered Divas contest. Alas, we didn't win...but we did make it to the finals and had a one hour live show. It was both scary and exciting. Alas again, there could be only 2 of us on the show so one of the Hijinx Minxes had to stay home...both Kim and Stephanie were arguing over who WOULDN'T have to do it with me! Kim ended up being the more willing one, so there she was. She did an awesome job and I dare say we had a blast. It's fun to say we did it, anyway!

Ahh, the Which Witch party. Kim had remembered me mentioning how much I used to love this game as a kid and how excited I was when I finally remembered what it was called! She surprised me with the game that she had found on ebay for my 40th birthday. She and Stephanie had quite the ruse going, making me believe we were heading out for a night on the town and instead ended up at Kim's for a game night. Woo hoo! Yummy comfort/game food prepared by Steph, decorations, and two not-so-willing but very generous friends playing not one but two games with me. Now THAT'S friendship.

And this is what happens after a night of games and drink and Kim. Come to think of it, this was another bit of hair that ended up EVERYWHERE. huh.

After an afternoon or evening tipping back a few beers or glasses of wine, you can expect Kim to start up on her dirty dancing. No one puts this Baby in the corner!!

I will leave you with this image of Kim and I walking the streets of New York City (the most fabulous and memorable trip with she and Stephanie!) with our hands on each other's tushies. Just some more of the Maven's mischief--there is never a dull moment when she's around!

So Happy, Happy Birthday to Kim! May the Mischief be with you!!!

Goodbye, Retirement!

2008-09-24T19:01:00.005-05:00

Announcement! Now I am not only a Metal Mommy, but a Hot Mama. Before you start thinking, "man, this girl is totally full of herself!" realize I'm talking about the fact that I am a newly employed person at the fancy-schmancy boutique store called Hot Mama! Oh wait, not just an employee...but a stylist!! How cool is that??

And how did this all come to be, you are wondering? Well, I'll tell you. After 2 years of trying to break into talk radio and dabbling in other artsy things I started to realize that kind of thing is just not going to happen on my time line. Being home during the school year all day long without the kids, I needed some new motivation. And when it comes right down to it, we could use the extra money! Silpada is a wonderful thing and I make great money at it...but any direct sales business is never a sure thing, never on a schedule. We needed the extra we could count on. Like everyone else in the country right now, we're feeling the pinch. (and our kids aren't getting any younger...which means they are needing more and more of our money!)

So now I am out of retirement. I have to tell you, the idea of this didn't come easy. When I really decided it was time to start checking Craig's List and the classifieds for jobs I just got more and more depressed. How can a Metal Mommy fit into the work world after she's been out of it so long? A Metal Mommy with years of life experience behind her--hey, one never knows what kinds of useful skills singing in a rock band can produce--but not a lot that looks good on paper. Certainly not in the--dare I say it--corporate world. It's embarrassing to admit, but I certainly got myself into a mourning period--not so embarrassing to admit to realizing it's a new chapter in life and means the children really are growing up (sniff!)--but I am ashamed to admit that darn it all, I just didn't want to work. Most people in this world have to work day in and day out at a job they may not love, but it pays the bills. What makes me any different? Absolutely nothing, but I still had to have a pity party about it for a day or so. Then I brushed myself off and realized that at least I could start by hitting places that I would find fun places to be, and go from there. I let the ads hiring secretaries in mortgage offices glide right down the computer screen, hoping it wasn't going to come to that.

My first stop was Patina. I am a big fan of this place. My heart literally skips a beat when I walk in there, it is chock-full of lovely little tchotchkes that I want to call my own. And jewelry. And purses. And things that smell good. A woman's paradise, really. I knew any retail job wouldn't pay much, but I figured I could start there and try to see if eventually there was a possibility to move up into other things...such as display, merchandising, that sort of thing. When I walked into the store to meet the manager I felt positively ancient, as she was about half my age. We set up an interview for the next day and my spirits did lift a bit as I arrived then to see a woman who could share my birth year behind the counter. Whew. The interview went very well and I was offered a job on the spot. I have to say I was surprised to find myself feeling excited as I left. I went in worrying I would feel the growing dread of retail drudgery, but instead I felt inspired. And let's face it, it was just nice to be wanted.

I didn't accept the position right away because I knew I wanted to stop into Hot Mama on my way home and see if they were hiring. I've only been in this store a few times but I really love everything about it. I could point to any article of clothing in there and want it. Or purse. Or shoe. (okay, maybe not the maternity clothes they sell...please not those!) They have a little space set up in the middle of the store that is a play area for bored kids who are dragged to the store with their mommies. Just like the name implies, it totally caters to moms. To make a long story short I eventually got an interview with the manager there. Although I had left Patina feeling pretty good, I left Hot Mama knowing this was the place for me. I can tell it will be an exciting company to work for--and darn if I have to wear some of the clothes as a stylist. ! The hardest part about being there will be not spending my entire paycheck!!!

Since I'll be on the schedule in October, I will cherish this last week of September. This last time period of scheduling errands and coffees with friends or pap smears with my doc any time I please. Of course I'm only working part time so it's not like I won't still have some days, but it is definitely the end of an era for me. And the beginning of a new one!

I Made It!

2008-09-19T16:54:00.004-05:00

Last night I found myself driving over the new 35W bridge. It's very bizarre, considering other than being horrified at the news when it came crashing down unexpectedly one year ago, it really didn't effect my life that much simply because I rarely have a reason to use it and thankfully I didn't know anyone that went down with it. Well, last night's Silpada party brought me over to that side of town, and all of a sudden, there I was. I came over the bend and realized as I approached the wavy monolith-type memorial thing that I was indeed driving on hallowed ground. They have that memorial on both sides of the bridge as you are coming on and going off. Something weird came over me and before I even knew it I was crossing myself as I left the bridge behind! And I'm not even catholic! When I went back over it later that night the memorials were lit up a ghostly blue--it was quite the sight, I have to say. Definitely makes you think. Vivian was worried when she heard I was taking that route, but I wasn't--heck, I figure it couldn't be any safer than it is the day it was rebuilt!!

Through Foggy Contact Lenses

2008-09-17T14:07:00.007-05:00

Whew--if I can see through these foggy contact lenses I'll try to manage a post here...contacts don't fare too well when a person is constantly tearing up in them. Today was Jim Nisser's funeral, and who am I kidding? I was not just tearing up, I was bawling. I certainly was not alone, my friends, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. Pastor Tim is an amazing man--heck, he's kept me at church for about 12 years now, that is no small feat!--and his sermon could not have captured Jim any better. Just check out the lastest blog post he wrote for Wooddale's web site, his sermon today was very much like this. After the service we all drove over to the Minikahda Club, the country club that Jim had worked at for so long. Listening to the general manager's eulogy and taking part in the amazing and delicious brunch he so graciously provided for all of us in Jim's honor made me realize that everyone there was definitely Jim's family as well. What a lovely place!

I liken Jim to a Hobbit. I know what you all are thinking, and I can't say I blame you...anyone who knows me knows I am completely obsessed with Lord of the Rings and will look for it in everything...but truly, it hit me today, witnessing the number of lives that he has touched--a Hobbit is the perfect way to describe him. A Hobbit is
humble, and Jim was the epitome of humility. A Hobbit is simple and gets joy from the simple things in life. Jim didn't drive a fancy car or wear fancy clothes. He worked an everyday job doing things most people wouldn't want to do like washing dishes and cleaning up, and his first love was baseball. Just look at ol' Samwise Gamgee and you know that a Hobbit is a good and trusting friend. Jim was everyone's friend. He had a smile for everyone, all the time. A Hobbit will sacrifice whatever they need to to do the right thing. Simply put, Jim served everyone and never complained. A Hobbit changed the world. Jim may not have changed the entire world, but I dare say that he has effected every life that he has touched. Tim mentioned today that even people who didn't know him at all had written in saying how touched they were at his story, that they could tell he was what the world should be. Jim didn't run a multi-million dollar company, he didn't adopt starving children or play major league baseball. But he made us see how the little things in life that are done with grace and humility are so powerful and touching and can have a profound effect on us all--maybe in a small way, he did change the world...even if just for a short time.

Im so proud to say I was Jim's friend! What a great loss. Now today, it's time to take out these annoying contact lenses, don the glasses and get on with life. Thanks to all of you out there who are in my life. It's always things like this that make you really appreciate what you have.

OK! I promise the next blog post won't be so darn depressing! I'd better get back to shoe shopping or something...!!!

Remembering Jim

2008-09-11T15:38:00.005-05:00

What can you possibly say when you're getting ready to start your day just like any other and you get the news that a dear friend has been killed early that morning? I'm sure as Jim Nisser got ready to ride his bicycle into work at the Minnekahda Club, just as he did every early morning for 46 years, he had no idea that this was his last day here. Jim was not only hit by a car, but the driver had the audacity to drag him around a bit and then flee the scene. I know we all have to go sometime, and for Jim it's a bit fitting that he ends his life on the bike that he rode everywhere, but this was not the way for this dear man to go.

Jim was 65 years old, but he sure didn't look it. He didn't act it either--he was forever young. At my church, Jim was there before everyone and left after everyone, always the person to clean up and always did so with a joke and a smile. I never heard Jim complain about anything. He was always so generous with a kind word or a helping hand, and often remembered the kids' birthdays with a little gift. A lover of cars just like Sullivan, sometimes he'd show up with a car from his collection for Sully just because.

I remember when the nursery school was just starting up at the church and they needed to do a fundraiser party to get things going. Sullivan was attending, so I chipped in to help. It was my duty to make and serve sno-cones, and this was not an easy task for one person! Before I knew it, Jim was by my side and we were laughing and having a great time. He had nothing to do with the preschool at all, but there he was.

Church will feel very empty now without Jim, I have to say. I think many of us will feel an empty spot in our hearts. The world needs more people like Jim, that's for sure. Cory had taken this photo of him not long ago, and our friend Rosemarie said the most poignant thing... she was glad to see this last picture of Jim, because it was a rare thing to see him sitting and relaxing with a cup of coffee...he was usually serving everyone else.

Out Like a Lion

2008-09-02T14:26:00.010-05:00

Well, summer definitely went out like a lion...a fun holiday weekend to be had and a very hot temp for the first day of September, which of course seems so strange since September just sounds so 'fall'.It started out on Friday with a birthday celebration for me...yes, Metal Mommy is another year older (and of course deeper in debt...I'm in America, aren't I??). It was the 42nd one, sort of a blah birthday. Although 42 definitely means you are IN your forties, not just hovering around it anymore. Vivian made me a lovely cake--she did pretty well with only yellow food coloring, random frosting tubes and a few candles. In her usual clever (and thoughtful!) manner instead of putting 42 candles on the cake she put four and then the number 2 candle. Yes, I blew them all out in one puff...of course knowing me with all of my hot air I probably could have managed 42 of them!! The only thing I really wanted was Godfather's pizza for my special meal...it's a memory thing, Godfathers was the pizza place I went to after every football game and fun event in junior high and high school. It was a nice gift indeed, considering Coreman had to drive a bit to get it, there isn't a restaurant very close by. The pizza was a bit cool by the time we got it home, but definitely worth it. Yum! I don't know if it's especially good pizza or just the association...but no matter! It's a pizza I can't refuse!

Over the weekend we got invited to Mark and Dawn's house to celebrate the end of summer with yet another lovely BBQ. Friends of theirs have a Sullivan too...a girl one! :-) I've heard a lot about them, so it was fun to finally meet them and have the Sullivans play. They were pretty much inseparable--my Sully was in the pool from 2:00 when we arrived until 9:00 when we left. Check out those pruney feet! Imagine if the Sullivans married? Sullivan and Sullivan. Sounds like a law firm.

And last night, an impromptu BBQ here with our friends Darcie, Dan, Elliot and Q. Here are the big boys talking gadgets, as always. Too bad I didn't get photos of the kids downstairs doing their 'band'--Elliot on drums, Sullivan guitar (a blow-up one, that is...) and Quinton on microphone. Luckily we did get some movie footage...good stuff. They were jamming along to "Smells Like Teen Spirit", by Nirvana. Makes a Metal Mommy proud...*sniff*...

And another *sniff*--off to school the kids went today! I am crying both in sadness and joy. Sadness of course because the summer is gone and you can't get those days back...my children are on to
another school year. Joy because the summer is gone and that means FREEDOM for Mommy! Although I will miss sleeping in, there is definitely something to be said for my very own schedule for a few hours a day. ahhhh.

Happy Back to School everyone!

Farewell, Summer...

2008-08-28T08:45:00.012-05:00

I'm here! I know it's been forever since I've blogged--so sorry to the two people that check up on me here every so often. ;-) All is well, it's just been a busy summer. And the times that weren't busy...well, who wants to write about that?! As writing a letter or journal entry can be DAUNTING when you haven't kept up with things--so much to catch up on!--I will make this more of a scrapbook entry, if you will. On to the Highlights of My Summer:

As nice as it is to have the summer to DO things, often there is nothing better than to just lounge on your deck in your cushy Papasan chair. Luckily we HAVE a Papasan chair, and a darn nice view of the woods from our deck. Nothing quite like relaxing out there, especially with a nice summery Tanqueray and Tonic. Now that's gettin' your zen on!

Normally I hate having to be involved in one of my kid's school projects...it's like, didn't I go through this already when I was in school??? But Vivian's summer project for her upcoming advanced Social Studies class was to do a report on some historical place of her choice in Minnesota. She chose the Split Rock Lighthouse, which is up in Two Harbors. What a great way to start off the summer--taking in gorgeous views of the north shore and just feeling one with nature. Plus I got to hang with my brother and his kids, it's always great to see the cousins having a good time together. This was one project that was just as interesting to me as (hopefully!) it was to Vivian, and one thing I did learn for sure...those lighthouses are a bit claustrophobic...

Ahhh, the 4th of July. At Stephanie and John's, once again. How lucky are we to get pampered and spoiled by the best cook (s), the most gracious hosts, the lovely scenery, titillating conversation (I love that word) and fireworks on the golf course?? Honestly I never cared that much about the 4th--well, not since I was a child and we spent it at Iowa City City Park every year...great memories there--but the 4th with Steph and Company definitely now makes it a highlight of my year!

Summer is great for family togetherness, but it's also superb for donning your favorite sundress and going out for a lovely dinner with your peeps. Somehow Stephanie Kim and I have stumbled into a dare-I-say regular routine of trying a new restaurant together once a month or so...well, new to Kim and I--we let Stephanie guide us to the right places! Oh do I love hanging out with my girls. Never underestimate the power of getting a bit gussied and having a night out with your buddies! It is a wonderful thing. Of course the sad thing is this has sort of replaced our podcast get-togethers for now....but only for the time being. I'm not ready to give up on Feminine Hijinx yet!

Summer in Minneapolis would not be complete without visiting one of the 10 thousand lakes! Not much makes a Mommy happier than to see her child enjoying themselves so completely and so purely in the sand and sun. Sullivan spent hours this day working on a very cool sandcastle complete with moat. When we dragged Coreman back out there that evening, it was amazingly still there.

Ahhh, Brookside. Our family will probably never have any other summer vacation but heading up there--but you know, that is not such a bad thing. Kids are safely free to roam and play, parents can relax (or be active...I myself mostly choose the former...!) with good company and just be a family. And since Brookside is also a childhood memory for me, that makes it all the more special!!

And we say goodbye to yet another summer by hitting the Great Minnesota Get-Together..the State Fair, of course! Both kids had their artwork displayed and ribboned...Sullivan getting a blue for his first time in! Yes, the fair is crowded and dirty (oh, the germs!) sometimes unbearably hot...but I for one can't resist it anyway. Where else can I eat a gyro, some mini donuts, fries and an elephant ear all in one day, absolutely guilt-free??!

So there it is, my friends, my summer in a nutshell. Nothing too spectacular in some eyes, I'm sure, but perfect by me. The only downfall is that it went by wayyy too fast...and it goes faster every year. I am excited tho, for the new beginnings that a new school year will bring for the kids. Here we go again...!

We Got the Beat

2008-07-20T16:27:00.002-05:00

Rock and Roll lives on in this household, in one form or another. Vivian has said "been there, done that" with the electric guitar, and now she's on to the drums. As a parent, part of me feels badly that we let kids drop things like this so easily...should we force them to continue to learn something they aren't interested in for the lesson of sticking to something? Part of me feels that yes, we should. Then again, Vivian has spent her own money on the guitar and the lessons and if it's not something she really loves or wants to pursue, what good does it do anyone to force her to? How would one know where one's passion lies unless they try it all?

Jamming with her cousins on their set got her interested in the whole drumming thing and I might say she has a natural knack for it. It's like that with any instrument she tries, really, so it wasn't a surprise. We'll see if this one lasts...ah well, if not the drums will go up on Craig's List, where we found them, and it will be on to the next thing. It has been great fun to have those drums set up for anyone who wants to give it a try. Coreman and Vivian have actually gotten a good jam going, I think I heard some Sex Pistols filtering up the stairs at one point. nice. The girl has to learn the important beginnings of rock and roll!!! I fiddled around on the set and let me just say Vivian does not get her natural drumming talent from her Metal Mommy. I have a hard enough time accomplishing one thing, let alone trying to do 3 or 4 different things at the same time--which is essentially what drumming is. Now I just have to figure out how to have a conversation on the phone around here...!

Zen and Now

2008-07-14T19:05:00.001-05:00

The other afternoon I was pretty much in my heaven hanging out at the lake with my son. (Vivian was off with a friend...such is the life of a 12 year old) Living in the land of 10,000 lakes, I still often forget that within just a few minutes drive I can be laying there on a sandy beach, taking in the glorious sites and sounds of the water. Sullivan loves it too. Our friends Carleen and Susie joined us for the first hour or so and then had to leave--but Sullivan and I stayed on and even went back that evening with the Coreman. (I then remembered to bring my camera!) We were amazed to see that the sand castle complete with bridge and moat that Sully made earlier and was so proud of was still there!

If you live in this area and haven't been to the lake awhile, don't forget about them! You can definitely get your zen on at a place like that, even if you do pull a Marcia Brady and get konked in the nose by a runaway football that someone didn't catch well. ('tis true, it happened...luckily my nose did NOT look like Marcia Brady's in the aftermath!)

All in All...

2008-07-10T18:22:00.006-05:00

Doesn't this look good? It is my friends, it is. Stephanie and John's pool is pretty much a little paradise, especially because whenever I am there they are such wonderful and gracious hosts that I feel like a queen. Lucky me has been able to enjoy the pool and the hosts (or at least one host) a lot lately and that's just fine by me. Sprinkle a little Kim in there, and it's all good.

July 4th was a blast, as I knew it would be. It's been our tradition to spend it with Steph and John for a few years now, and this year it turned out to be a bonafide party with Stu (yes, the Wine Genius) and his wife Debbie, Debbie's sister Michelle, Harry, Stacey, Coop-a-Doop, and Digby, Margo and Levi. Yes, doggies were invited too and darn it all, I did not get a photo of those guys. It was quite hilarious, all of them running around and sometimes in the pool. Poor Margo was just trying to get away from these crazy boys. She took refuge in anyone's arms, and that made for one happy Sullivan. Everyone contributed to the meal, and the food was delish. After some swim and some vittles, we all went out onto the golf course for the show. We all agreed that this year seemed to be the best one yet, amazing! Pretty darn satisfying, even if the fireworks are over very quickly--as Sullivan would say, "Just like a good sneeze." :-)

Stephanie, Kim and I took advantage of a last-minute free evening and went out for dinner to a restaurant called Luci Ancora in Saint Paul, of course on Steph's suggestion. YUM with a capital Y, it was positively delicious. And you just can't go wrong with a cozy dinner out with your peeps anyways. It was lovely!!

Then again with my fine friends, and again by the pool. It was a Mom/Kid affair, bringing the Trio together again. (sorry, but for certain annoying reasons only 2 of our children are shown in this photo...!) Btw, the kids are the only people you will see on this blog in their bathing suits, in case you are wondering...!!!

All in all, I'd say summer is going pretty darn well. Other than the fact that every time we have a storm lately it's a violent one, and in our woody lot it's causing many branches to be broken. Not fun because each time it happens they are left hanging over power lines or something and we have to pay to have someone come out and saw them down. This is getting expensive! I guess to be expected when you live in Cakeville...!

Recommended Homework

2008-07-04T09:39:00.011-05:00

One of the great things about kids is that often you do things because of them that you normally wouldn't do...well of course there are the things like wiping bottoms and cleaning up puke and those kinds of nasty but necessary things which given the choice I'm sure most of us would not really opt to do...but then there are things like striking up conversations with strangers at the park or their school that end up being your best friends, or getting to see cool places because your daughter has a homework assignment over the summer that of course has to involve you as the parent. That is exactly what happened and as a result the whole family had a mini-vacation up in Two Harbors the past couple of days.

Vivian had to pick a historical site that she had never been to and now must prepare a presentation to be given on her first day of school--as a proud parent I have to add that it's for Advanced Social Studies. (my smart little girl!) After looking over a pamphlet made especially for celebrating the state's 150th birthday, she chose the Split Rock Lighthouse, which is up in Two Harbors. Since my brother and his family live in Duluth, we made a stop there and hung with them for a while. My nephews are a blast, and very musically talented. Vivian loves to jam with Simon--and she found a new talent, the drums! She hopped on there and before I knew it she was actually playing a beat. Nice! Does this mean there will now be drums in our future? yikes. Good choice tho...good drummers are always in demand. Like Spinal Tap, they are usually the bane of your band existence...and The Charm School Dropouts were no exception. But I digress.

After spending the day in Duluth we made our way farther up north. Two Harbors is such a cute little town and we stayed in a great little Motel called the Country Inn--highly recommended! Nothing fancy, mind you...if you're looking for room service your not going to find it there...but it was clean and friendly, and you can't beat the 18 hole putt putt golf course out front! :-) They also had a pool which is always a hit with the kids. We did some exploring around there, going down by the water and walking out on this pier in I think was called Agate Bay. Beautiful! The wind about bowled us over out there and it was freezing--but totally worth it. That lake is amazing, you totally feel like you are looking over the ocean.

The next day we made our way to the Split Rock Lighthouse--time to get the homework done! Very cool. We did the tour complete with people in period costume and up into the lighthouse we went. This Metal Mommy got a little claustrophobic in that thing, but I managed. The stairs were high and tight, and getting about 15 people into that little lighthouse was not easy. The whole thing is pretty amazing though, and hearing how the old lighthouse keepers kept things running smoothly makes my lazy days seem pretty, well, lazy. Nothing like running up those steps first to the building and then up into the tower every two hours of every day to keep you in shape. Makes my little Tae Bo on demand work out look kind of flimsy. From there we made our way to Gooseberry Falls--not on the homework agenda but definitely a must-see if you are in the area. Gorgeous! You can hike all around the falls on various paths. At one point we went onto a bridge that spanned over the entire thing, it was an incredible view to see that all beneath you with Lake Superior out on the horizon.

After that we got in the car for the drive home. It was a short trip, definitely something we want to go do again. The kids could have spent an entire day climbing rocks and throwing little ones into the water. The perfect kind of play, in my opinion. It's funny how when you live in an area for so long you kind of forget what is right out your back door.

So Happy 4th! Any fun plans? We're heading over to Steph and John's for a nice little dip in the pool and BBQ, before heading out onto Interlachen for the fireworks show. It's going to be a group this year, a bonafide party! Have a great one!

Silly Me Indeed

2008-07-01T16:32:00.008-05:00

Silly me, I thought my diapering days were over. Well, at least on hold until I am a Heavy Metal Grandma--which (heaven help us)won't be for a VERY long time. But alas, we are leaving Sir Digby in the care of some dear friends as we embark on an overnight journey, and that little boy has been known to mark his territory at the slightest smell of another dog's...uh...markings. (sorry, Steph.!) The solution: a Doggy Diaper, complete with a hole for the tail. All I can say is, hilarious. Poor Digs, he looks quite humiliated, but luckily went along with it in stride. I'll feel much better knowing that if the leg does lift in someone else's home, all will be dry.

And silly me again, I thought buying a little plastic bunny for my daughter would be a nice little gift for her. We came across these guys in a bin and Vivian was instantly enchanted by them...they totally cater to her love of anything off-color (WHERE does she get that from?!) and the fact that it was a surprise as to which one you were actually going to get upon opening the box. Opening the box was definitely a surprise--and Vivian definitely got something off-color. We innocently turned it over and noticed that this bunny has a penis! Goodness! I am buying my daughter X Rated toys. Who knew?? Well, it was Urban Outfitters after all...I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. What next??? I'm afraid to ask. What I love most is that she actually took a black sharpie marker and colored the naughty bits right over so you can't even tell it was there. She did that on her own accord, kind of like Sullivan telling me when I do something that's not appropriate. You gotta love it when kids regulate themselves.

So tomorrow we're doing the Family Getaway---to be continued...

Summahhhh!

2008-06-21T14:31:00.006-05:00

Is it summer yet? Ah yes, I believe it is. In fact today is the official beginning of it. It's hot now, school's out, we've been spending time at the pool. But since school's been out, we've been busy, busy!

Last weekend we headed up North to visit Grammy in Park Rapids. It's always a nice getaway, just a few hours north so not time for too many "are we there yets". It was a relaxing weekend just hanging around, doing a little Main Street/antique shopping, being outside and hanging out at the 'little red bridge'. It's a funny thing, that--considering there is NO little red bridge to speak of at this little river overpass but I guess there was at one point and therefore it will always be known as that. It's such a cute small-town thing!

All last week we were getting up every morning to an alarm to trudge on into VBS. (or Vacation Bible School, for those of you who have no clue what those letters stand for...I sure didn't before I started going to church!) I shouldn't say trudge, because once we got there we had fun, but it is hard to start your summer vacation to an alarm! Both Vivian and I were helping out this time, and Sullivan was just attending. I was so proud of Viv, she and her friend basically taught art to the preschool class all by their little lonesomes. It's really weird when your kid starts doing things that you don't even know about, like emailing the youth director back and forth before this started about supplies, her ideas, etc. I was actually CC's on one of those emails and was like, "Whoa!" My little baby is definitely growing up. I, on the other hand, refuse to. Every year I get placed in whatever skit or play that goes on to start out the day. I wonder why they always think of me...?? It couldn't be because I'm such a natural born HAM, could it??? This year I played the part of an Opposum, along with Fruit Bat and Iguana. I have to say, it wasn't quite the part that the Diva Starfish was last year, and the script was defintely lacking. Not that the kids notice or care, but hey! I've got to find my motivation! I mean, how can anything compete with my great line last year as Starfish, talking about my fabulous time getting to ride Sea Horse all around the reef? Without a saddle??

We'll be celebrating Summer Solstice this evening at our dear friends The Schacherers, who have a rockin' party every year to enjoy the longest day of the year. Hopefully they will have enough ice for the beer and won't have to hope for hail to keep it cold again. ! How are you spending the longest day of the year?

Summer, Oh Yeah!

2008-06-13T15:01:00.008-05:00

It is Officially Summer! Not only are the kids out of school but we have hit the public pool--so that definitely makes it official. Of course Summer Vacation for the kids means End of Vacation for Mommy...but that's okay. There is definitely something to be said for not having to get up and get the kids off to school. This morning Sullivan actually slept in until 9:00--a first!

As much as I strongly believe that summer is for relaxing, I'm a little dismayed to notice that the calendar is actually pretty full. I don't believe in over-scheduling the kids--and really, that's not too difficult since my kids aren't into sports. It's a struggle to even get them outside, unfortunately. But even so between a couple of camps, VBS, the park program, art lessons and our yearly resort vacation, the summer is practically almost over.

As a kid I don't remember doing anything in summer other than trying to figure out who would be Bosley for a good re-enactment of Charlie's Angels, (I know, I know, I'm dating myself..!) endless scenarios for Barbie (some of them not so G Rated...listen to the Dirty Barbie episode of Feminine Hijinx for the sordid details!--it's early #4) roller skating all over the neighborhood, walking down to Dane's Dairy for an ice cream cone, or just plain hanging outside and seeing where the wind blew me. The only scheduled thing for me was a Camp Fire Girl day camp, or when I was older, the Camp Fire Camp that lasted an entire week. Now that was adventure, especially the year I got to sleep in the covered wagons. As much as I know that was a blast, my main memory of that time was being too scared to find the creepy hole-in-the-ground toilet that was down a wooded path in the middle of the night, so we'd just pee outside of the wagon only to wake up to flies covering the ceiling above us. gross.

Let's just hope the weather is decent for most of the summer. We've had some pretty nasty storms around here, (like the rest of the country, it seems) and we got caught right in the middle of some serious hail a few weeks ago. We were on our way to our some friends house for a party, and we had to pull over on the side of the freeway as the old Subaru was completely pelted with marble-sized hail. The noise was horrific--both kids had their hands over their ears and poor Vivian was just screaming. I thought for sure the windshield was coming in on me! When we finally made it to the neighborhood we were going to, we were amazed to see the streets flooded with about a foot of water, hailstones and leaves that looked like they'd been through a shredder. Everyone's plants were decimated and there was a lot of property damage. Bummer. It was quite the drama, the kids were running around in the foggy park in their Crocs among the freezing hail stones. The hail piled up against people's homes didn't even melt until late the next afternoon. Craziness! My friend Mike took advantage of what he called 'Nature's Bounty', using the hail stones to keep the beer ice cold. Nice!

So enjoy, my friends. And get out there and teach your kids the finer things like Charlie's Angels. "All right, hold it right there!"

Can I Tell You...

2008-05-23T15:55:00.003-05:00

how much I love Ellen DeGeneres for askingJohn McCain to walk her and her girlfriend, Portia DeRossi, down the aisle after he came out (no pun intended) and said on her show that he is against gay marriage? I do love that woman. (and NO, I don't want to marry her.)

Metal Mommy and Her B Movie Career!

2008-05-22T14:49:00.009-05:00

(get out your bifocals to see that photo! that's me, second from the left) Apparently (and amazingly) there are people out there in the world who actually remember Warbride from back in the glory day...proof in an email that went to Lori not too long ago asking if the band in the background of this movie was indeed us? When Lori sent this email to me I was immediately brought back to this time that we all drove out to the middle of Nowhere California--I vaguely recall someone saying we were close to the Manson Ranch, lovely--to play the part of The Band at a Party. If any of you have watched any 1980's movie, you know just what I mean. Some totally unknown background band is jamming away in the background of almost every one, while badly dressed 80's- clad boys and girls dance badly in the foreground, pretending they are really having fun. (and really liking the music.) I only have flashes of memory of that day, and obviously nothing big ever came of it! In fact, I can't even remember how it all came to be, and I KNOW that we never got paid.

Fast Forward to 2008, and Lori finds out the name of the movie. She Googles it, and Lo and Behold--there it is. She buys it--wow, look at that! You can get it on a compilation with seven other horror-able movies for only $9.99! Such a deal! (that was the only way she could find it, on that compilation!) She sends me the link, I order one for myself. (and just in time--there was only one left in stock! Why do I have a feeling if I go back to that site it will still say one One in Stock??!) It arrived yesterday.

Man, was that a blast from the past. Thank goodness it was not long into the movie and there we were, in all of our big-hair rocker chick glory. Never mind that my lips somehow don't move in time with what I'm singing, and never mind either that it's not actually my voice...we are a damn good Background Band at a Party! Also never mind that the song that's playing, "Nevermore", is a total rockin' ballad-y type song, certainly not conducive to dancing at a party. Those poor extras look even more silly than they would in a normal bad movie, trying to dance to a non-danceable beat. Pretty hilarious. We aren't on camera for long, but it was definitely worth the 10 bucks. Vivian walked in at one point and was like, "That's YOU? Mom, you were so cool!" That was DEFINITELY worth the money. :-)

The reason it's not my voice on there is because I had replaced a singer, and I myself had never done any recording with the band at that point. The guy who ran our rehearsal studio and sometimes acted as a so-called manager must have set this up--and if there was any money to be had with it at all, he must have taken it! Ah, to be so naive. Who cares, we were going to be in a movie!!! (insert eye-roll here.) As I said my memories of this day are vague, but I do remember meeting a great extra named Howie who became a very good friend for many years to come. I remember seeing a real live tarantula on the side of the house and being very afraid--especially as night came on and we were filming outside--to sit down anywhere on the grass! (shiver.) I remember seeing Martha Quinn on set--who the heck knows why, she wasn't in the film or in any of the credits. Probably too smart to admit she had any part of this movie if she did! And I remember even then all of us laughing at how very bad this movie was going to be. I mean, when a guy turns to another guy and says the line, "She may be a b*&%ch, but she screws like a demon!" that kind of gives you a clue of the quality you are dealing with. !

So there it is. If you ever run across Click: The Calendar Girl Killers , or even the compilation After Dark Thrillers in the bargain bin at your local video store and you feel like seeing me with giant magenta hair and Stevie Nicks-type metal garb, pick it up for a chuckle. But don't watch it thinking you are going to enjoy it at all. Even for the Funny Factor, you'll be reaching. It is quite possibly THE WORST movie I have ever seen in my life. It definitely leaves you wondering how anyone ever gave anyone money to have that one made.

And on an entirely different note (literally!), I am IN LOVE with a new song I've discovered and I have to share! I'm probably way showing how un-hip I am that these guys are new to me, but the song is called "A New Sky", by The Presets. It's a dancy-techno type tune--perfect working out or driving with the sunroof open on a fine spring day such as this music!

Happy Mom's Day!

2008-05-11T17:21:00.004-05:00

A happy day to all of you who enjoy the amazing experience of motherhood. Here are the lovely snow-white tulips that my husband brought home for me--two days ago and they are already wilty, sad!--I think that is my new favorite flower. Coreman doesn't understand how I can be so enamored with plain white, but something about them just does it for me. It's funny how your tastes change as you get older, how it's something you don't even notice and then one day you're attracted to something you never would have looked twice at before. Kind of bizarre.

I for one don't need Mother's Day to be a big to-do, I'm happy spending the day outside with my fam. My perfect meal is not going to a fancy restaurant, but going to Byerlys and getting a feast of sushi to eat here on our deck. (of course that cost just about as much as going out to eat...!) Tonight I shall lay my head down on my pillow and be thankful for the privilege Motherhood truly is. Especially with my two kids. How many moms have kids who buy their mom something with their own Target gift card they got for their birthday (Vivian) or never fail to snuggle me every morning and say how much they love me? (Sullivan) Plus how many 7 year olds request Megaherz when you're riding around in the car? Only one a Metal Mommy could love. :-)

Something Worse

2008-05-09T15:11:00.004-05:00

Is there anything worse than a spring cold? I'm fighting it, my friends, fighting it. Or maybe it's just allergies. Either way I'm finding it hard to enjoy the long-awaited for warmer weather with a fuzzy full head. As I type now I'm listening to the frogs sing away through my screen door. Now that is definitely not something I heard in my old house! It's amazing to me how they often hit a perfect major third in their chirpings...it certainly is lovely. The sights and sounds of spring in my new wooded yard make me feel like watching Charlotte's Web. Isn't that silly? Bizarre or not, it's what comes to mind. I actually have a real memory of sitting in the movie theater with my mom as a young child and watching the cartoon version (long before the Dakota Fanning version). One of my all-time favorite stories and movies, fo sho. (and why is it that it never cured my fear of spiders?? I have a feeling that was one of E.B. White's goals with that story, but alas, it had no warming effect whatsoever on his arachnophobe...!)

OK, I take it back. There is something worse than a spring cold. It's trying to post photos on this blog site! Twice in the past I've tried to post and just gave up because I couldn't get the pictures to load. I've even tried it in Firefox versus Safari, but just now on Firefox I couldn't even get into my account to write a post. Computers have always hated me, but this is ridiculous. Sorry about the techie rant, but there it is. I'm seriously considering changing my blogging site because of all of recent woes, but alas, all of my past posts will be history. All those lovely pictures of Orlando, all of my shopping finds, gone! What will the world do? But it may happen, it just may...I mean, a person can't have just empty writing on their blog site, how dull!

From Pineapple to Tofu

2008-04-09T18:10:00.005-05:00

Just call me Stephanie--I've been a cooking/baking fool lately. Well, it's not like I've been cooking a lot, I guess--I've just been more experimental. (and I'm just a fool.) Our gourmet dinner group of course lends itself to trying new things--although often I just want to make something that I know will be GOOD and I'm not in the mood to experiment. Inspired by the Byerly's spring magazine, I decided to go for making a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It was daunting to me--will it be all mushy on the top?? Since I have to saute the pineapple and then actually pour the cake batter and bake it all in the same pan, will it really turn out okay?? For whatever reason I was feeling brave and went for it--and I'm glad I did! I have to say, the cake itself wasn't exactly spectacular--I mean, it was tasty and all, but I don't know if it really made a difference to chop and process crystalized ginger to add to the batter and it was a bit dry--but since Greg said it tasted just like his Mom used to make, I figured it was a success. There, I did it. I made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake in my life. There is something so 1950's about that, isn't there?? Nice! (yes, the cake didn't quite get centered on the plate...YOU try flipping over a hot and heavy Le Creuset sauce pan quickly and accurately on a serving plate...not so easy!)

Then tonight I actually cooked with tofu. (sorry, no photo of that one.) I've tried it in the past and never hated it or anything, but it never struck me as something I needed to eat much either. Lately tho I've been both wanting to find healthy alternatives and have some variety for goodness sake--so why not try tofu?? I found a site on the web that told how to cook it so it doesn't turn out mushy...I have to say, it was good advice. I used the asian marinade and it was downright YUMMY. Totally crave-worthy. Sullivan actually liked the first couple of bites but then started spanking his head Andrew Zimmern style, so I guess I can't really say it was a hit with the entire family. Ah well, I'm hoping that was just the sauce. (he's not a soy sauce kind of guy) I'll try it again. I did read somewhere that you actually have to get your kid to try something some ridiculous amount of times--like, 17-- before they will actually like it...so keep serving those kids that broccoli, my parental friends! (at least both Sullivan and Vivian do like that!)

Who knows what will be next on the menu? Actually, I think I may try a coconut rice pudding and try it out on my dear friend Stephanie when she comes over for coffee on Friday. She and my friend Darcie are about the only ones I can think of that would actually EAT that kind of thing. YUM, I say.

Try something new this week! Heck, it's spring. Or is it?! (she says as she laments about the weather forecast of another 6 inches of snow...)

Happy Birthday, Vivian!

2008-04-04T16:57:00.006-05:00

OK, it's a day late, but you know what they say...so I'm not going to say it. This Metal Mom is celebrating her little girl turning 12--TWELVE! And she is my little Metal Girl, literally--she just got braces to go along with her official 'tween-ness'. Oh, and not only did she get braces, but she also got a cell phone. ! It was time, I guess. Coreman and I fought it, believe you-me. It still seems very early to me, but it's amazing how we are apparently in the dark ages since Viv is one of the last of her friends to get one. I have to say, as much as it's weird to me, I'm also glad. Now when she needs to call me about picking her up from school she doesn't have to try to borrow a friend's phone. There is definitely something to be said about being able to contact your child whenever you need to. And at this point, I don't have to worry too much yet about her calling and texting friends...I think that's a year or so away. So, there it is, a right of passage fo sho. I had my Teen Line, Vivian has her cell phone! Crazy.

Well Said

2008-03-24T13:57:00.003-05:00

As anyone who knows me knows, I am NOT a political person--but I have to say as we go into our 6th year of war, and I'm in between my children's birthdays and celebrating their glorious little lives, I will simply post this poem written by Shel Silverstein:

HUG O' WAR

I will not play at tug o' war
I'd rather play at hug o' war
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
and rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
and everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

A Busy Week and Another Year Older

2008-03-15T15:59:00.007-05:00

Yes indeed--spring is springing and the busy times are coming. Both kids birthdays in March and April, and then the month of May that includes 4 birthdays and 3 Mother's Days which basically makes it like another Christmas around here.

First of all--Happy Birthday, Sullivan! It was actually March 12th, but today we braved it and had some of Sully's classmates in our house for a little party. It's so tough, we had soooo many friends we wanted to invite, but sadly we can't have them all. It was a great time, his friends are adorable and they were entertained by magician Brian Richards. He was definitely worth every penny, just a really nice guy--a great magician and great fun for the kids. He had us all laughing. What, you think I'm going to have all of those kids in my house and entertain them myself??! I'm not THAT brave!

The other day we all went to the public library to see Sullivan's art work on display. He was one of the chosen few selected to have his 'Self Portrait Collage' up on the for the next month, and we actually went to the 'art opening' to see it. He was so proud, and of course Mommy was too--but certainly not surprised. Both of my kids have amazing artistic talent!!

We also took part in our city's 'Unplugged' day, a day where everyone is supposed to shun their electronic devices and actually spend time with their families instead. I have to say that it's a little sad to me that this needs to be spelled out for people, but, there it is. Local restaurants had deals so cooking Mommies (and Daddies too, I suppose!) could be unplugged as well, so we took advantage of that with a meal out and then came back here to play family games. Yes, that is my husband happily playing a board game. He will try to tell you that he doesn't enjoy himself doing such a thing, but don't believe him. Just to make it easier on him we all endured listening to Adrian Belew. Why is it that he hates playing games, yet when he does he always wins??! No fair.I myself did manage to take some time off this week to smell the roses--okay not the roses (yet!) but at least the melting snow. We almost hit 50 degrees one day and I just had to enjoy it out on my deck. It will be so fun to enjoy the first spring in our new house! Connie was visiting for a couple of days, resting up from her trip to Italy before she drove back home.

And tonight, a relaxing dinner at Steph's to hang with her and meet some friends visiting. I have to say, after a house full of kids I can't think of anything better than to have my good friend Stephanie cook for for me.

Back In the Saddle...

2008-03-04T08:39:00.007-06:00

...to get rid of the saddle. Bags, that is. Yesterday I re-signed myself up at the gym. I was going pretty regularly for over a year, but then I got into a walk/run faze, hit summer-time and thought--'who needs the gym'? Apparently, I do. I guess I'm just one of those people who will NOT work out out of doors unless the weather is perfect--and how often is that in Minnesota?! I am not like my hearty friend Steph, who gets out there and walks it pretty much rain or shine, icy patches on the street or no. One little slip on one of those patches and weee! There goes my back. So I guess the Ellipse machine and weights all in the confines of the athletic club is where it's at for me. And you know, I like it. I like having to get up and go somewhere, away from my house. I feel like I get a better workout on those machines than I do simply walking--or even running. I even missed the smell of the gym, I have to say. (well, most of the time. not when someone is working out next to me and they reek of B.O. Then the gym is not so pretty.) No, I don't plan on looking like scary macho Barbie here, but I do want to be feeling good and getting rid of that darn hibernation padding that creeps up around the middle this time of year.

So I started my day this morning with a bang, hittin' the gym once again. It was great until I almost passed out and/or puked from over-doing it. I got on the Ellipse for 30 minutes, then hit some weights and some floor stuff. I was amazed that I actually remembered how to work some of that stuff--and dismayed at how weak I am now. Man, it sure doesn't take long for you to lose your stamina and your brawn when you get off track. bummer. But! I know I'l get it back. But a note to self, and to the rest of you thinking about spring/summer and putting yourself back into exercise...go slow. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was a flat stomach. Luckily I was overall fine, but woowee, I sure hit that point where I was like, "I'm done!"

As much as I wanted to just lay down and go to sleep I needed to run out and get groceries this afternoon. I was pulling into a space and just as I was doing so, a car pulled up into it from the other side. I was grumbling and threw a dirty look at the person only to realize it was my dear friend Stephanie. ha! We had a good laugh about that one. Nothing like making grocery shopping more fun by having your peep there with you. We proceeded to stand in people's way at lunch-time at the salad bar, gabbing away--hey, we've had to skip some all-important coffee dates recently and had some serious dish to catch up on! Luckily we are squeezing in a coffee date in a couple of days so we can finish what we started by the olives. Never enough time to chat, my friends, never enough time.

And on that chatty note, I must run! The kids will be coming home from school soon and it's like Christmas every day to see what they brought home in their backpacks! :-) I will leave you with a lovely spring-like photo of my bulb pot I just HAD to buy. I highly recommend one of these to anyone living here in Minnesota at this time of year...bring on the spring!

A Birthday in the States

2008-02-21T09:36:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday to my friend Dan! The husband of my lovely friend Darcie, Dan has now joined us in the 40 demographic. It was quite a treat that we got to celebrate together--considering that Darcie and family are all supposed to be living temporarily in London right now. It's a long and crazy story as to how they ended up here, but basically my poor friend Darcie was stranded in Paris on a little vaca and couldn't get back to her family in England. Because of a screw-up with their visas, they all had to immediately come back to the states. I know it doesn't sound too rough to be stuck in gay Paris, but believe you me, it was not fun for her.

I feel very badly that they had to go through all of this, but on the other hand as I said to Dan because he got refused and old we all got to benefit by gathering at Chino Latino for an impromptu birthday dinner. It was a fun group of people, all people I've met and enjoyed over at Darcie and Dan's at some point. And get a load of that baby--his name is Crew, can't you stand it??--he was practically my little appetizer, I could have eaten him right up.

We all shared food and it was pretty good, but the best part about Chino is definitely the fun atmosphere--old suburban me feeling like I'm actually at a hip place for a change. And you've gotta love the tshirts that the employees run around in...one saying, "Wanna Bangkok?" and, "Ah, Phuket" ! All I could think of was bringing my kids in there and how their little eyes would light up with the naughtiness of it all. (I know, it's apparent I'm a parent.) Of course Sullivan wouldn't even get that Phuket could be mispronounced as a naughty word...he'd just be like, "oh, that's an island off of Thailand!" and then proceed to show me exactly where it is on the globe.

Tonight, more adult fun with Stephanie and John coming over for a raclette dinner. Not exactly gourmet food, but you can't go wrong with potatoes, ham and melted cheese. yum.

They're Baaaack....

2008-02-19T09:38:00.014-06:00

Well, there they are again. Those greys. A while ago I posted about how I was embracing those grey hairs that were becoming quite prolific there on top of my head, and indeed I was...until I saw someone's beautiful shiny head of hair and decided that I needed that dark color--and a few streaks of gold and red, as well. I can honestly say covering the greys was not part of the agenda, it just came along with the coloring package--but I will also admit it was nice not to have to inspect my head every day for that wiley grey with disturbingly pubic-like qualities that would bend it's way up to the sky like a crazy antenna.

But this morning, alas, there those boogers are again. Ah well, at least these puppies are growing in straight, so I'm not going to bother them. Hey, if I could snap my fingers and have that gorgeous silvery grey hair overnight I'd be so THERE. I guess my dark brown, gold, red and grey hair will look good with my new glasses. Yup, after following the Coreman into Lenscrafters with his glasses saga--he can tell you that one himself!--I of course decided I myself needed a new pair. The ones I have were cool about 10 years ago. Frankly I wasn't sure if I even wanted to spend the money on glasses since the only time I wear them is right before bed and right when I get up. But it is nice to have a pair that you can throw on if you just don't want to deal with your contact lenses, you had a good cry and you don't want to put your contacts in, or you just want to accessorize. It also helps that my brother-in-law owns some of the Lenscrafters doctor's offices, so I get a good deal. Nice!

I decided to become totally funkified and went for these cool Vogue frames in bright blue, with the inside being a lime green. ! In the past my glasses selection had always been something a bit more tame, at least in color--something that would go with everything and be a bit more neutral. But now? Nope, I'm 40 (+--eeek!) and I'm going for the obnoxious ones. I was also looking at a clear frame, I think those are pretty cool--but the stranger who became my best friend of the moment and fashion consultant at Lenscrafers made the comment, "I've never been a fan of clear. If you're gonna get glasses, why try to hide 'em?" Wise words indeed, so I went for the bold statement. Being that I don't have them yet--so much for Lenscrafters getting them done in an hour, eh??--you'll have to settle for a photo of the same frame in pink. (which was cool too, and quite frankly I'm a little surprised I didn't go for the pink...but blue goes with more...) So there it is.

I ran into beloved Nordstrom to check out a perfume that I had read about and came home with 2 samples (that they made for me, of course...!) ...The Beat, by Burberry, and Au The Blanc, by Bvlgari. I always love trying new perfumes, especially with spring around the corner. Of course I'm still loving my Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie, and Dytique's Do Son. It's funny how as I age, my taste in scent does too. No longer do I go for the heavy vanilla-y amber-y laden scents I used to. (although it is funny how Au The Blanc does have a touch of amber in it...not surprising!)

I almost pulled a Carrie Bradshaw in the Nordstrom shoe department, buying a pair on a total whim that I drooled over on their web site. I would have, too, if I hadn't just scored some other great shoes at DSW. Oh my though, these shoes are to die for. The Kill, as Steph would say--or maybe The Lick?? ;-) Wouldn't you agree??? Sex-Y with a capital Y. And actually pretty comfortable considering the 3 inch heel, with no platform in front. I don't know, another Silpada party or two and I may have to get 'em. At least now I have a real reason to get fun and funky clothes and shoes--my parties! That's reason enough for you stay-at-homes to do my business--you have a great excuse to buy party clothes! :-)

OK, enough of my shopping rave. Look at me--this started out about my grey hairs and quickly turned to shopping and coveting pretty things. Must be the spring tease right around the corner--doesn't it just make you want to go out and get some fresh new things?

Rockin' and a-Lovin'

2008-02-18T13:09:00.004-06:00

Check out my little rockin' dude...who knew an empty Kleenex box could be so much fun? Take out the plastic from around the hole, wind a few rubber bands around it, stick on a cardboard neck...you've got a one-man-band. Cheap entertainment, and that's a good thing. And entertainment for Metal Mommy, fo sho, watching her little pumpkin rock and roll with a little air guitar. .. especially in her old 'Charm School Dropouts' leather jacket from back in the day. I don't have much from back then, but I did save my leather. Hmmm, maybe I oughta break that puppy out again?

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day. Things were lovely here, quiet and sweet. Some beautiful spring-like tulips, sappy tear-inducing homemade cards from the kids, and a family movie in the evening. My kinda holiday. Of course every day is a love-fest around here! How lucky am I??

Colder Than a Witch's You Know What!

2008-01-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

Just what does a person do with themselves when it is this butt cold outside??? Well, this Metal Mommy braves the cold anyway as the hearty Minnesotan she is. (okay, not exactly hearty...I'm in and out as quick as I can be, that's for darn sure.) She soldiers on selling her wares at Silpada parties, shopping (but of course!) and making comfort food like creamy homemade macaroni and cheese.

I have had 4 Silpada parties in the past 6 days--whew! It's been busy, and fun. I do love my job. Where else could a girl make ridiculously easy money, small talk it to death, laugh and giggle with both friends and new women she meets, and try on fabulous jewels?? I often wonder why everyone doesn't want to do this. I guess there ARE people out there who cringe at the very thought of every one of those points...well, except making easy money of course. Hard to believe.

I'm already itching for spring and the retailers know it. Why else would they be selling short sleeved shirts, shorts and sandals when it's -13 outside with no hope for a decent thaw for at least 2-3 months??? They suckered me right into Banana Republic to buy a fabulous lavender oh-so-spring-like jersey dress...that I've already worn even, black boots and all. Metal! Black boots and a lavender dress, black boots being oh-so-metal on their own, of course, but also the sheer paradox of it all. Then at DSW I bought some crazy-fab shoes that--alas--I WILL have to wait for spring to wear. Metallic silver faux snake-skin loafers with a white wedge heel. Another paradox, for sure! As soon as I finish this sentence I'm think I'm just going to have to make the heavy metal salute.

Nothing says home and comfort like macaroni and cheese. I have nothing against the Kraft kind, mind you, I've been known to eat some in a pinch....but I'm talking about the REAL stuff--which honestly with the Velveeta cheese I use isn't much more un-processed than the processed kind, for sure...but I was feeling a bit adventurous and did add my own flair by making the sauce half Velveeta/ half Havarti. Another paradox!!! I do believe I made myself some Metal Macaroni and Cheese! nice. I just whipped up a little roux with butter and flour, then added the milk, cubed Velveeta and cubed Havarti. That's it my friends, very easy, very creamy and will totally give you that satisfying lump in your stomach. Just remember to eat your apricots. (and Steph, aren't you proud of me and my roux???)

Unfortunately since my braving the arctic elements really only consists of dashing in and out of a heated car, store or home, I won't be getting out and working OFF that Metal Mac and Cheese any time soon. Just storing a little extra for the winter, I guess--and I'll need it, didn't Punxsutawney say we're getting some extra? Dang.

Goodbye, Heath...

2008-01-22T20:51:00.000-06:00

I wonder how many blog posts are featuring Heath Ledger right about now? Well, here is yet another one--at a time like this who cares about originality?! It's so bizarre...it's not like I ever even met the guy but for some reason the news of his death totally depressed me and I feel like I've lost an old friend.

I'm sure most people think about him as the 'gay cowboy' in Brokeback Mountain...understandably, that was quite a role and he pulled it off flawlessly. Whenever I hear his name, however, A Knight's Tale is brought to my mind--a movie that came out in 2001. I don't think it did very well in the box office, but slowly became sort of an underground classic. It's a great love story melding medieval knights and jousting (yes!) with current fashion and music--totally cool! Very romantic, funny, and Heath Ledger is downright adorable in it. (heck, the movie has a character that is supposed to be the great classic author Geoffrey Chaucer...how can you go wrong with that?!) I have to say it's one of my faves, one that I often will pull down and watch when I'm in the mood for lighthearted fun. Now I will always watch it with a bit of melancholy for old Heath. :-(

It's so odd...why do we care so much to lose someone we don't even know?? Just because he is a celebrity? Although I will admit, the news of young actor Brad Renfro passing just last week did not hit me hard. There was something really cool about Mr. Ledger, something that I think any of us who feel sad about his passing must just know somehow. He seemed more down-to-earth than most, seemed to have his head on straight (I could make a Brokeback joke here, but I should probably keep this post to it's serious tone..) obviously full of promise. I'm sure when anyone young and promising dies unexpectedly it's another cold splash of reality hitting us all in the face...if Beautiful Talented Celebrities aren't immune to old Grim Reaper, than we most certainly are not. shiver.

And so it goes. RIP, Heath! A quote from Prince Edward to William, Heath Ledger's character in A Knight's Tale: "Your men love you. If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough."

Always Fresh Once Again!

2008-01-14T20:04:00.000-06:00

It's about darn time! It felt good to get another Feminine Hijinx podcast done once again--we goils had been on one long haitus, considering it had been 6 whole months since our last one! A lot has happened since then, of course...first it was summer traveling and general busy-ness, then my whole move thing, school starting, the holidays...and now here we are, the new year and I'm gettin' some hijinx in with my peeps once again.

We started out the evening by celebrating Stephanie's 41st birthday at Sweeney's in Saint Paul. Nothing like a brewski and bar food to get a night rolling--and we ladies can be as loud as we want/need to in a rowdy bar! (although according to Stephanie she could STILL hear my laugh from the bathroom stall...yeah!) From there we came back here to our set-up in the living room. At the old house we podcasted from the 'naughty pine' downstairs...but what to call our new living room space? Kim ran with the vaulted ceiling thing giving it the moniker of the Vaginal Vault. Stephanie came up with the Virginal Vault, although after popping the podcast cherry last night I guess it can't be called that. Maybe it will just be shortened to The Vault, although the sunny open room that looks out over the street hardly seems vault-like. hmmm, I guess it's one of those things that will just have to come to us one of these days. (I see where you are going with that! Naughty!)

Regardless, it felt good to be back at it again...although I have to say I did feel a bit rusty. The girls and I thought that maybe we talked it to death too much at the bar before we got back here, that could very well be. In listening to it though, I feel pretty good about the turn-out. We've still got it... IT being the gab, the naughty talk and of course the never-ending laughs. Works for me! Who cares if I'm the only one who listens?!

Holy Eggs, Batman!

2008-01-05T16:36:00.001-06:00

So I'm innocently cookin' up some eggs the other morning and a piece drops down onto the burner. I look down and...aaaahh!
(sung in a high full vibrato operatic voice) an angel! Do you think it's a sign? A message from heaven? Hmmmm. Maybe it's just a sign that if I eat too many fried eggs they will end up on my thighs. But heck, a serving of these eggs and some holy toast (I received the stamper for Christmas from my 11 year old daughter...does she know me, or what?!) and I could be onto something. Or not.

On a totally different note, Happy Birthday to my dear and Fabulous friend Stephanie!

More Celebrating

2008-01-02T09:41:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year, one and all! I hope you all have enjoyed your holiday celebrations....I sure have! It's been the perfect mix of relaxation and fun, friends and family. I am behind in my blog-posting, there have been many fun days worth typing about but alas, not a lot of time to spend writing about it. Or I DO write a long post and then get so frustrated that my photos won't upload that I just pass. This post will be mostly photos, let's hope it works!

Any New Year's Resolutions for y'all? I've never gotten into that, I have to say. I refuse to deny myself anything, and most resolutions are usually about giving up something that's bad for you. (I don't do Lent, either.) I'd love to hear yours if you have some!

OK, here is A Very Metal Holiday, by Suz:

Steph and I's last coffee date, where she gave me the most fabulous of all egocentric Christmas gifts...a Juicy Couture bracelet that has it's name on one side--but of course!--and none other than 'Her Majesty' on the other. OMG, Fabulous. In my not-so-humble opinion, every woman should loudly declare her royal status. How very Metal!!

Here we are at Stephanie's house, enjoying a lovely Ladies Brunch. As she always does whenever I'm over there, Stephanie spoiled us with amazing food and her most gracious hostess-ness. One of The Best ways to spend an afternoon...great food with great women. (especially when someone else is cooking it for you...Her Metal Majesty definitely approves..!)

Christmas Eve was so nice...going to the Christmas Eve service as good Lutherans do and then coming back here for some serious present opening. I will say I'm pretty sure we all got what we wanted...especially me, my big gift from my ever-luvin' being an incredible sparkly blingy oh-so-me pink tourmaline, diamond and rose gold ring. wow.

A lovely Christmas dinner with friends and family. Dinner, gift exchange, a girl's card Bingo and a Men's Bowling game on the new Wii that Santa brought....fun had by all!

As you know, holidays are all about spending time with family and friends...and it was quite nice to spend a morning with my friend Darcie and her two sweet boys, in town from their year-long stay in London!

New Year's Eve found us at Stephanie's sister Stacey's incredible home, quietly partying it up with her friends and family. How lucky are we to be included in such company??

We spent the first day of 2008 over at Mark and Dawn's house warming up on a cold cold day with some fabulous chili. Four different kinds, to be exact! (my personal fave was a Vegetarian one that included cashews and raisins...sounds strange I know, but to die for...definitely a recipe I will get!) Another day spent with great people and food, even a little dancing to "Laura" by the Scissor Sisters...why have I not heard of this band?! Great disco-dance/sometimes bluesy/glam rock music with in your face lyrics such as "you can't see tits on the radio...". METAL!

Hallelujah, successful photo posting! Here's to 2008!!

Celebrating

2007-12-18T11:22:00.000-06:00

The thing I love most about Christmas is the endless celebrating. I guess in this the Mommy out-does the Metal, as my celebrating these days consists of pleasant days or evenings with friends instead of heading out the door to some rocker party armed with black eyeliner and a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry Wine. And Hallelujah to that, is what I say. Can't say I miss much about those days...well, except maybe being able to get away with that black eyeliner.

Some of the best celebrating comes at impromptu times, like hanging out with Steph and John as Nathan and Vivian hung downstairs and watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, newly acquired on DVD. A jug of wine, (decent wine that is, not Boone's Farm...) Marcona almonds and thou--it rocks.

And of course it wouldn't be the holidays without the church Christmas Play. No matter what they do with it each year, it always brings to mind the Peanuts and A Charlie Brown Christmas. (especially when you have a narrator that sounds very much like Linus, which we actually do) And it never fails to bring a tear to a parent's eye, I can tell you that. What is it about adorable kids in these hokey costumes up there picking their noses and belting out about the Baby Jesus so horribly out of tune that itjust warms the heart?? Then in true Minnesotan-style it's time for the church buffet. Plenty of meatballs and ambrosia salad for everyone.
Speaking of buffet, I'm still trying to plan out what I'll do for the Christmas meal around here. I don't know exactly how many I'll have yet, but I guess that's kind of the fun. How many of you do turkey for Christmas? Or ham? Or neither? Inquiring minds want to know. I have a hankerin' for some deviled eggs, I think I'll have to make some of those. Deviled Eggs on the Lord's birthday. Now that's metal.

Let's Get Gourmet!

2007-12-08T11:52:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah, Gourmet Night in the new house! Love it. And with a recipe from my lovely gourmand friend Stephanie, it was definitely a hit. It was so good, in fact, that I might just pull a Steph and add the recipe in my comments below!

Our gourmet group has been getting together for about 10 years now--isn't that crazy?! The eight of us are actually the second incarnation, Pastor Tim asked us to join after I accidentally blurted out "damn" in our new members class at church. There I was thinking I was surely going to hell and instead I got into a gourmet dinner group. (my love and appreciation for Pastor Tim started right then and there.) Only about a year after The Coreman and I joined, one of the couples left. (I've often wondered about that one..!) Being the newest of the group, we got to pick the replacement couple--which were Mark and Dawn. So here we are, basically in our 10 Year Anniversary...The Coreman and I, Mark and Dawn, Rosemarie and Greg, and Tim and Nancy. I could not be with a better group of people, I am so blessed to have them in my life! They are the sort of folk that even though our meetings sometimes don't go beyond our monthly dinners or a weekly 'hello' at church, there is an unspoken bond there that we all feel with each other. I know I could go to any one of these people with anything. That's pretty cool. After 10 years of trying to think of new recipes, we may not be very gourmet, but it's a sure thing that there will always be a hearty helping of laughter and fun.

I just love it when our turn to host the group falls around the holidays. The house definitely feels festive just with all of the holiday stuff out. Light a few candles and voila! Instant Glamour. Our table looks especially nice these days, last year The Coreman had a moment of insanity and told me to go to Pier One and buy some nice dishware. I was a little afraid but ran out the door without question before he could change his mind. The result is a plethora of beautiful golden plates and "crystal" glasses--sorry, we're not talking Waterford here--very nice. For this occassion I added some Christmas crackers which housed bad jokes and plastic charms--the best part of these things was the gunpowder smell that emitted from them upon cracking--and a mirrored trivet I purchased at World Market (my new favorite tchotchke place!) on every other plate, as a 'take-home gift' for each couple. I wanted to get a photo of my table all set up, but alas, I became too busy in preparation and forgot. Hate it when that happens!

Hosting the group around Christmas means you must have the White Elephant gift giveaway--to me, the highlight of the evening. I also affectionately call this 'Wrap Your Crap'. To those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, basically you hunt around your house for things that you have no use for and have no idea why they are still around, wrap them up disquised in wrong-sized boxes and/or pretty paper and then take turns opening them up. Some people play with dice--we just have each person select a number (in this case, 1-8 since there were 8 of us) and take turns picking out the gift. I believe something can be stolen twice, but on the third time around it stays with it's owner. I was sad to lose a beautiful holiday candle only to be given The Claw Award in it's place. Yes, even though Greg was the person who first opened this hideous thing, it was I that ended up with it. Luckily The Coreman has taken it to work for his own employee White Elephant exchange. What I really love about our gourmet version is the fact that Rosemarie never plays by the rules and actually runs out and gets really CUTE things from Target (everybody picks her gifts first, we are no fools) and Pastor Tim never steals anyone's gift. I guess you can take the Pastor out of the church, but...well, you know the rest. I actually did end up with a very cool 60's/70's glass vase from Dawn--I guess my threat to karate chop anyone who tried to steal it actually worked. This White Elephant thing is a true example of "One man's junk is another one's treasure"!

What a fun evening--fun that is, until it's time to clean up. Ah well, I guess we all take turns with this as the host/hostess of the month. That's the time I find myself cursing our big idea of fancy golden plates from Pier One, as they need to be hand washed. Who's idea was that anyway?!

Happy Holidays! (and don't forget to check out that recipe!)

Poof! It's Christmas.

2007-12-04T13:18:00.000-06:00

Add tinsle, it's Christmas. OK, add a Christmas tree, an endless sea of ornaments, Rudolph figurines, (can't have Christmas without Rudolph!!) blinky lights, various holiday tchotchkes, Christmas music and gifts for under the tree that my Mother sent in July, and THEN it's Christmas. I'm totally into it, I love the holidays. And here's our living room in all of it's holiday glory, for the continuation of the New Home Photo Tour.

I LOVE our living room. One thing I really didn't want to give up from our old home was the fact that our living and dining room were one big open room--luckily we did indeed get the same thing here. The openess is even more expansive since we have this vaulted ceiling, complete with wooden beams. Love it! Coreman especially has a warm spot for it--I think between that and the woodsy lot, he really feels like he's back home in his childhood house.

We have a very interesting floor plan--it's sort of like a split entry that only goes up, and not down when you enter the door. I guess that is a positive concept...things can only go up around here! I love being high up above the street in our living room, the view out of our many windows is so lovely. The previous owners had the wood floors redone as well, and they are gleaming and beautiful. They are sort of a reddish color, very warm.

Check out our big fireplace and mantle! Now THAT'S a fireplace Santa can come down. In fact, I hope he picks the right chimney--we have two! One that leads to the fireplace up here, and one for the downstairs fireplace. It's interesting, we had a fireplace in our old house but we rarely used it and eventually got an electric insert to go in it. We've already had about 5 fires in this house since we've moved in. I feel like I should be baking bread in this thing or something.

The dining room isn't especially grand, but it's a nice size and of course has the great view into our back yard. We're still trying to decide what kind of window coverings to do--of course privacy is a good thing, but we don't want to give up our view or make the room seem smaller as bulky treatments can so often do. Guess we'll live naked for a while and see how it feels...or not live naked, with the open windows. !

The green color out here is actually do-able. I was SO over green in our other house--when we first moved in practically everything was some shade of green. I'm not kidding. The kitchen was entirely green--counters, walls, floor...our bedroom was dark green, the carpet on the screened porch was green, and so was the floor and pipes in the basement. whew! This green is sort of a nice spring green though, and it works with the reddish wood. Me like. (whew, there's one big room we dont have to paint!)

I hope you all are enjoying the hustle-bustle of the holiday. I have to say, it doesn't bother me. I do have a bit of my Mother in me and although I don't do my Christmas shopping in July I do get things done early so when this time comes I'm not crazy. I rather enjoy the hunt and gather, the grocery shopping with all of the festive stuff out. It really helps that we have snow--we got a good amount on December 1st and today we are getting some more! Beautiful! Let it Snow!

Shrinky Dinkin'!

2007-11-29T08:50:00.000-06:00

So Sunday at church, our artsy-fartsy friend Lynn was all excited showing us this cool stuff she made--shrink art jewelry! For those of you who are of my generation, we date ourselves calling them Shrinky Dinks. Do you remember those?! Oh man, memories of Camp Fire Girls came flooding back to me. I always LOVED doing Shrinky Dinks--they were positively magical to me. (they often look like there is something inside of them...I'm obsessed with clear things that have something inside of them!) Of course the reason I liked doing the Shrinky Dinks so much could have also been that they required adult supervision, and that meant that the Camp Fire Bee-ahtches couldn't be as mean to me as they usually were...but I digress...!

Anyway, the Shrinky Dinks we made were just silly little things that we didn't do much with--it was more about the process. But this jewelry kit thing--oh no, it's all about making the charms that you then make into earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings...the possibilities are endless! Needless to say I ran right out and got the kit, waiting with bated breath until Vivian came home from school so we could do them together. All I can say is, Ooooooh! Lookie what I can do! The templates they give you with this kit are amazing, what fun. I could spend hours doing this stuff. Even Sullivan was in on the fun, drawing pictures of twisters and tsunamis and then taming Mother Nature by shrinking them down to next to nothing. (no silly little owl for that boy!) Vivian is cleverly using the kit to make gifts for her friends, so the seemingly high-price of the book will pay for itself in no time. As for me, well, I won't even wear the jewelry I made--heaven forbid, it's not Silpada! But once again I guess it's still about the process for me. Even now as I sit here needing to get in the shower and get some errand running started and never-ending house cleaning done, I'm itching to start doodling another dink to shrink. Now that sounded dirty.

Cold Slappa Reality

2007-11-26T15:23:00.000-06:00

So I just read about a moisturizer that costs $650. I hate to break it to you folks, but no matter what you spend or what's in the stuff, it ain't gonna stop the clock. Of course it doesn't keep me from being curious about it...it's times like these I wish I were a beauty editor so the company would send this kind of stuff to me for free so I'll talk about it. Hey, I'm a blogger! Don't they know that Metal Mommy is talking about their product? All 2 of my readers may find it very interesting and decide to blow their entire Christmas allowance just for the hallow promise of cheating death!...or at least looking like you are. No? Me neither. I guess I'd rather spend that money on a Coach bag. I'll sport both my designer bag and my saggy bags with pride!

A Kitchen to be Thankful For

2007-11-25T15:04:00.000-06:00

After having my dear friend Rosemarie say she was missing my blog posts, I figured I'd better get back to it. (how nice to be missed!) I also realized that in waiting for my house to be spotless to take pictures of it to post, I'd be waiting forever...so here's the kitchen in all of it's getting-ready-for-Christmas glory! I guess that's just the way it is in a real home...there are always dishes in the sink and things on the counter. I have to say, when we first looked at this home I loved almost everything about it--but I was worried about this small galley kitchen. That was one of the things from my old house I really wanted improved upon, and although the actual kitchen size here is quite large and it has beautiful new cabinets and granite countertops, the working area is smaller than I had. Hence the lovely kitchen island that you actually have already seen in a previous post. It's funny tho, so far I haven't even worked on the island top as I thought I would. I am able to do what I need to do in my little galley, but the island has been indispensable as far as extra storage goes. Of course it's a fun place to sit too, and has become the place to eat breakfast and lunch, and do homework.

I LOVE having my desk here in the kitchen. Of course my desk was in my kitchen in the old house, too, but the desk was actually our eating nook. Now I can really spread out and I have a place for everything. (but sadly, not everything is not always in it's place!) I'm still figuring out my work space, I think at some point I will probably put some shelving up above on the wall. It looks very bare right now, I haven't wanted to hang any pictures there yet until I get it all planned out. I'm just happy to have a place to call my own! Plus thanks to my ever-luvin' I've got my music going in my computer with some kick-A speakers, of which I can control with a remote from over at the sink. Nice!

Another thing I love about my kitchen is the view. Out the window in the galley area or the sliding glass doors by the island I can watch the deer go in and out of my wooded back yard. Out the sliding door is a deck, which we haven't been able to use much since we moved in just as it was getting pretty chilly. Eventually we'd like to re-do the deck--it looks kind of precarious and could definitely use a staircase down into the yard. All in good time. What would a person do if there weren't updates to make on their house??

And speaking of kitchens, whether you spent a lot of time in yours or not I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. I only had to make a couple of pies and the infamous candied yams to take up to Connie's in Park Rapids. It was a lovely holiday indeed that we spent not only with her but also with my brother and his son Miles. We even got to cut down our own Christmas tree from the Wenger's lot--thank you Nikki and Arnie! Christmas has indeed officially blown up in our house already. I guess I'm finally feeling ready. Are you?

A Good Thing

2007-11-09T09:47:00.000-06:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner (and the Big Holidays just down the street), it's good to think about those less fortunate than you. I will readily admit that I could be much better at that. Oh, I think about them. I don't believe there is a day that goes by without reading my CNN homepage and getting all teared up about some sad story on there. But thinking about something and doing something about it are two different things, of course. Most of the time I think a lot of us feel like we don't even know where to start. That's why I loved it when I found out there was a sign-up sheet at our church to go help out at STEP, the emergency food shelf of Saint Louis Park. OK, we don't live there anymore, but of course it doesn't matter where the needy are--in your neighborhood or across the world--it's good to help in whatever way you can. We along with 4 other families went to stock shelves, move pallets around, do whatever needed to be done in the warehouse.

After standing around in a circle and doing some 'getting to know you' stuff with the head volunteer, she split us up into groups to give us various tasks. I think she must have took one look at my group--the one with the pregnant lady and the gimpy back lady--and figured we needed to sit down. (how she could have possibly guessed I needed something lighter-duty because of my gimpy back, I will never know. probably sheer luck) My friend Laurie and I, along with our kids, were brought over to a craft table to make gift tags for various 'giving trees'. It was almost too much fun, I felt a little guilty. You almost don't even feel like you're helping anybody, but of course every little thing makes a difference. Here's a great quote by Mother Theresa to leave you with: "I never take care of crowds, only of one person. If I stop to look at the crowds, I would never begin." So true, so true.

So Good, It's Scary!

2007-11-01T17:29:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a fun Halloween! Here's my little pirate--can you stand it?? I didn't wear a costume but I think I could have actually been Cannibal Mommy....Sullivan was so cute I could have just eaten him up!!! (was that in bad taste?! hardy har.) One woman giving out treats was asking him if he was Captain Jack Sparrow--when he said no she said he kind of looked like Johnny Depp...funny!

The trick-or-treating was stellar in our new neighborhood, although I missed having Vivian with us. She was off with her peeps back in the old 'hood, pounding doors for candy as a Bloody Emo. I kept calling her a 'Goth', and I kept getting corrected. Can someone please shed some light on the difference between an Emo and a Goth?! Even Vivian can't really tell me! Too funny. I'm gathering Emo is short for 'emotional'...I guess maybe a Goth doesn't have feelings. Who knows with these things?! I am old. What's really scary about this get-up is that she actually looks kind of pretty in it. !

Sorting the candy when one gets home is always a treat. The Virgo in me loves to do that. Both kids got quite the pirate's booty! Another successful year of trick or treating...and now we are over-run with candy once again. We have a new system now--the kids can horde their stash for a few weeks, then it becomes the community bowl. So far they can be trusted to keep their booty in their own rooms...and they only get a few pieces a day. I try to keep a little control around here! For as long as I can....

Get It? Got It? Good.

2007-10-29T15:04:00.001-05:00

So I stumbled upon this photo of Sir Orlando Bloom. (no, he does not officially have that title, but the man certainly deserves to be knighted in my humble American opinion. I mean, look at him.) I know many of my lady-friends don't understand the Orlando Attraction, but seriously folks, how can anyone see this photo and not get it??!! And that's my entire post for the day. I guess I'll cease from being a silly Tiger Beat reading teenager and go back to being the 40+ Mom that I am now. damn.

Cirque de Sully

2007-10-26T14:36:00.000-05:00

Slowly but surely, the house is coming together. As it does, I'll put photos on here. Here's Sully's room. Even though he's not even close, it's part of the cool Tween Hang-Out he and his big sister have going in the basement. He and Viv have the downstairs all to themselves, pretty sweet for them! (not always so sweet for us however when the Coreman and I want to watch an inappropriate-for-kids movie and Sullivan comes out saying he can't sleep--and NO not THOSE kinds of movies, get your mind out of the gutter--) I guess at some point we may have to worry about the kids sneaking in and out of the sliding door down there...hopefully they will both be goodie-goodies like I was and not even dream of doing such a thing. A Mom can dream.

Anyway! Sullivan's room is a sweet and cozy one. The main reason he chose it was because of the glorious 'secret room', which is really just a Great Big Closet. It is pretty nice, I can store the majority of his toys in there and I can see as he gets older how he may want to make it into a nice little reading den or something. Before we even bought a house we had told the kids they could paint their new rooms any color they wanted to. (within reason, of course...we had to nix Vivian's macabre choice of black.!) Sullivan had said orange. Well this room just happened to already be orange, however the specific shade of orange brings to mind the Circus Peanut. An entire room painted the color of a Circus Peanut. eeeu. Partly to keep some color in the room and mostly out of laziness, we kept two walls that color and painted two of them white. (a big thanks to my paint-helpers Nancy and Stephanie!!) I suppose I would have picked a different shade of orange for the others but honestly we were in a hurry and the thought of painting the one brick wall over with all of it's nooks and crannies was NOT something I really wanted to do. So there it is. Sullivan sure doesn't seem to mind, so Circus Peanut it is! With the color of his bedding, rug and pictures, it's actually pretty cute in there. He may very well want something a bit more masculine as he gets older, and by then he'll be old enough to paint his OWN room. Go to it, little man! Just not black.

So he seems pretty happy in there, and we got rid of the bunk and instead stuck the air mattress under his bed for guests or Vivian, who on more than one occassion wanted to sleep in the room with her brother in the old house. (how cute is that?) The bunk was nice but didn't fit so well in this smaller room--besides, it was pretty low and pretty soon he was going to start bumping his head upon rising. I have to say, when I'm changing his sheets I sure don't miss that top bunk. Now that's a Circus act in itself.

Dumbledore Comes Out

2007-10-22T09:30:00.001-05:00

You gotta hand it to JK Rowling--even after her Harry Potter series is done, she's still pushing the envelope with the announcement that the grandfatherly wizard Albus Dumbledore character was gay. (you could say she 'came out' with it--heh heh!) Coreman immediately rolled his eyes and was thinking it was a publicity stunt to get more attention now that the story is over, and I suppose it could be...but my first thought was, "You Go, Girl!" She could have somehow alluded to it more openly in the books if she wanted to make a statement or get attention (of course maybe she did and I missed it--quite possible!) but the fact that she's making it public now just makes me think about how she was trying to get across that 'being gay' was just a part of Dumbledore's life, not who he was--a message we should all take to heart. I get so angry when people make such a big deal about being gay--I mean, who the heck cares?! As for the story line, it does make more sense to know that fact, realizing why Dumbledore was so easily under the spell of his good but evil friend Grindelwald.

So there it is. Dumbledore was gay. Good for him, now, how is the weather?

Grey Matter

2007-10-16T09:43:00.001-05:00

I kid you not, the day I moved into this new house I noticed a plethora of grey hairs on the top of my head. I mean, I've had a few here and there for a while now--when I've see one of those boogers I've just plucked it right out with the tweezers. Gone, no evidence. But the morning I woke up here and looked in the mirror--BAM!, as Emeril would say. Not just a grey hair or two, but enough that would quality as what I would call a sprig. When in the world did one wiley hair turn into a sprig of many?? And I mean, these suckers were pretty long, so I don't know how they escaped my ever-roving eye. I knew my whole move was a bit of a hair-raising experience, what with selling in 11 days and not having settled on a new home yet--but that was ridiculous.

But you know, I have decided I'm leaving those babies. Quite honestly, I think grey hair can be really pretty. At one point in my rock and roll past I actually paid money to have grey hair extension streaks put in. I saw a woman at the Mac counter not long ago with the most beautiful silvery-grey hair I'd ever seen, covering her entire head. It was all I could do not to sigh, "ooooh, pretty" and reach out to touch it. I have decided that I am indeed going to grow old gracefully and proudly sport my greys. (unless of course I see one of those crazy curly ones that resemble a more private area of hair...now THOSE have to go...!) I've always loved dichotomy in fashion--you know, the whole dress with the combat boot thing, or Anne Klein pink suede loafers with a black ripped up shirt--so why not contrast my old greys with a young skull T? It works for me. My way of looking 'old' in the face and saying "F You!" and then, "I guess we're in this together...."

At least that's how I feel today. Of course when one of my kids' friends calls me 'that old lady' or something I may be hitting the bottle of Clairol before you can say Elvis is dead.

Have I Mentioned...?

2007-10-13T17:34:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned lately that I love my new home?? Today the kids took me through our back yard and into the woods, where they have already been exploring. Amazing. Not far back we have a sweet little creek running back there, and if you follow the path you eventually come to a railroad track. Does this make it look like it would lead you there and back again, or what?! A little farther across the track and you come upon a man-made--or kid-made, perhaps??--BMX run, complete with jumps. It is amazing and totally tucked away so that only the local people would know about it. Too bad none of us do that sort of thing, but it's cool to have it back there nonetheless. Just in case Metal Mommy gets the urge and puts her BMX pants on. heh heh.

I really broke in the house last night with it's first party--my Silpada jewelry open house! Unfortunately not many could show--turns out October is a very busy time for people--but it was a blast and great to see the women-folk that did manage to make it out. (a big thank you to Stephanie who brought a yummy appetizer and somehow managed to magically appear by my side to help me open bottles of wine...) I'm so mad--once again I was so busy that I forgot to take photos!!! Have I mentioned lately how much I love my new business?? It's so much fun for me--I LOVE the jewels, I love having something of my own, and having a girlie blingy party is right up my alley. Plus I make pretty nice ching. Can't beat that.

Today was more unpacking and organizing. We are actually seeing some floor in the garage, which of course is a good thing. Whew! Maybe tomorrow we'll see more deer in our yard???

Everything Rocks

2007-10-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

Kitchen Nirvana, that's all I can say. Not only do I have my very own desk in my kitchen, but I now have a glorious center island to call my very own. (okay, I guess I will share it with my family...!) A big thanks to Greg, who took time out of his busy Saturday to come over for a few and help Cory with a few of the final touches he needed to get it done. It actually still needs a back piece, but no matter to me since this was what was required in order for me to start getting my stuff in it. yeah! All of the kitchen boxes are finally unpacked and the things inside them in their rightful places. (well, of course there could always still be one lurking in the garage...but one thing at a time here.) Kitchen Nirvana, and Organizational Nirvana. I LOVE organizing. At one point Coreman started to put a pot in a drawer which immediately warranted a finger up from me...no one touches my kitchen drawers/shelves in an organizational capacity but me. One could say I am a bit anal about such things, or maybe a kitchen control freak?! But there it is. (quite honestly I don't think the Coreman cares much if I take this job over...!) Having a ROCKIN' center island that one can store, prepare and sit around, well, rocks. I'm loving it.

And speaking of loving it, here's our back yard. Sullivan is sitting on our deck which overlooks it--can you say Rivendell??? I swear, yesterday morning as I listened to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack whilst watching leaves fall in the sunlight that was peeking through the trees, I really did fancy myself an elf for a few short moments. My back yard rocks.

My husband rocks, too. Not only is he working like a crazed IKEA fool, putting all of this stuff together--the center island, bedroom furniture for the kids, 2 desks, a TV stand--but upon moving in he also surprised me with a brand-spankin' new Nano as a house warming present! He asked me for a potholder, and there it was, sitting in the drawer. You'd think I would have asked him why in the world he needed a potholder, but I didn't--that's why I fall for this stuff so easily, I guess. I love my new Nano. I have to say it is quite the improvement from the already ultra-cool one I had before this. I like the shape better, the color screen is phenomenal, and even the controls work better. Plus I have a coolest of cool jazzy red one, of which the purchase of it helps to fight Aids in Africa. Gotta love that.

I'd have to say, right now everything rocks. That's a good thing. Speaking of that, I'd better get rockin' and rollin' and get to more boxes....

Trees and Boxes

2007-10-04T17:03:00.001-05:00

Another day, another box. The unpacking continues, and of course will for at least a month I'm sure! I will slowly but surely be adding photos of the new pad-- but of course I want to wait until you can actually see a finished room and not just piles of boxes! Check out this tree in our front yard--could it be any more magical?? I am THRILLED that this tree is mine, all mine. The trees at our old house never got these colors. We have one like this in the back yard, too. woo hoooo!

And here is a lovely photo of our garage and our work ahead of us. Where the heck are we gonna put it all?! Time will tell...

One Happy Cake-Eater

2007-10-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

Hello! My first official post from my new (and already messy) desk in the kitchen of my new lovely home. Ahhh, home sweet home. It totally feels good already, even though it is a complete mess and I'm sure it will be for quite some time. As in typical Suz style, the move itself was quite a Saga, and this old girl is too tired to go into that one right now. But slowly and surely, we are all getting settled into the new digs. (including Digs.) The kids seem very happy, actually, which is a wonderful thing. Both are adjusting to their new schools quite well and seem very happy there. This house just feels right, and we are surrounded by green which is perfect for a little Hobbit like me. Already we've been greeted by some new neighbors tonight, complete with warm homemade apple crisp that was to die for. NICE! I have to say, I have heart eyes for my new suburban life here.

And I have to give a shout-out to all of my good friends out there who have helped in so many ways--schlepping things around, painting, bringing goodies, and always moral support. How lucky am I to have such people in my life?? It makes a person feel at home no matter where they are, that is for sure. The strange thing is I left my SLP home without even a look back. Interesting. Not that I was unhappy there, not in the least. But it's always been me to take on something new without regret, even though normally I am one of the most sentimental people on the planet. Sappy, you might say. But don't tell anyone, it may ruin my Metal Mommy status...;-)

OK, back to the unpacking. One thing we are noticing is that even though we have gained square footage we have lost storage space, just from the sheer layout of the house. That will be a problem, 'cuz we have a lot of stuff. Even after getting rid of a bunch before we got here. This oughta be interesting...! Stay tuned!

T'was a Happy Birthday, Kim!!

2007-09-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

It was, it was. Even though yesterday wasn't OFFICIALLY Kim's 40th, we celebrated at Stephanie's anyway. As usual Stephanie made us a fabulous meal and we laughed and cackled into the wee hours. (okay, maybe not THAT wee, but to me midnight is wee.) Here's Kim showing how she REALLY feels about the age of 40, flashing her F*%?K Forty bling ring. Nice! I have to say 40's not all bad so far though (now that I'm the ripe old age of 41, you know)..and if I get to celebrate it this way 3 times, hey, not bad at all. Kim brought over a perfect 40 gift she was given, "God's Gift", as a matter of fact. A nice photo celebration of some 70's/80's cheesecake men. Some were quite scary, I might add.

Today, it's Serious Packing Time. My dishes, silverware, pots, pans...all that stuff, bye bye. (for a few days, anyway.) We are now officially onto paper and plastic products and soley take-out food. It's getting down to the wire, my friends! Vivian wasn't feeling well this morning, she's home today. I have to say it's nice to have her around, luckily she isn't REALLY sick. Personally I think she is emotionally sad about the house, and tired from the stress of it all and the new school business. She's allowed a day of hookey, and probably part of her wants a last full day in her house. sigh. Kids don't have the experience like us old folk do, knowing that even though you can be sad about leaving a place, the new place has great things in store. I pray in time she does come to love our new abode as much as this one.

And what the heck is it with these creepy Jeweled Araneus spiders I'm seeing everywhere lately?! Good grief, it's an invasion. At first glace one might think it's quite cool, they are pretty sizeable and weave beautiful perfect round webs. One might be cool, but when I start seeing them in numbers it's just darn creepy. I've passed under them at friend's houses, had to avoid opening the door the other night because of one in our vines overhead. In fact last night I couldn't even come into my own front door, one was actually on it and I was NOT going to chance that sucker landing on me as I was working at the lock. UG! Then this afternoon I was throwing a bag of garbage out and as I came up the back stairs my socked foot brushed a web with ONE IN IT, between a couple of the stairs. !!!! Enough is enough. Thank G-d Terminix is going to be at our new house the afternoon we close, ready to poison anything thing that crawls. And since it's so wooded and no one has been in the house since March, I have a terrible feeling the house itself could crawl right now. UG!

Happy Birthday, Kim!

2007-09-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

Ahhh yes, the Maven will finally be joining us biddies at the Big 4-0. Okay well, technically it's not quite her birthday yet, but we peeps are celebrating tonight! With my upcoming move in less than a week, I knew things would be getting hectic and not leave much time for partying, so there it is. We shall we dining once again at Chez Stephanie, and I can honestly say I'd rather eat there than any ol' restaurant. How lucky am I to have a friend who loves to cook for me??? And remember, Stephanie is the one who can make popcorn be gourmet. So I am looking forward to an amazingly fun night of amazing food and fabulous company. Huzzah! I have a feeling 40 will be a good year for My Friend Kim. She's got a new job, doing something she loves, and she's Just Saying No. Go Kim!

Meanwhile, boxes and more boxes. And did I say Boxes?? It's amazing how much stuff you realize you have when you move. I have to say it feels a bit ridic to be packing all of this stuff away so carefully and in so many boxes to move it all of about 3 miles. I know it's what you have to do to make it more efficient and keep your stuff in one piece, but still. Plus it's disgustingly hot out there, especially for September. What's up with that? I am officially over the heat, ready for the cool temps of fall. Hey, a girl's gotta wear her new Uggs, after all.

Shakin' it Up!

2007-09-20T08:29:00.000-05:00

I just had to post about my glorious friend Stephanie, who recently exhibited the most Metal behavior--makes a Metal Mommy friend proud. She was visiting her son's new Catholic school and was chatting with some of the moms. At one point she went to give a 'thumb's up' and absent-mindedly threw the Heavy Metal hand signal instead!!!!!!!!!! She was mortified by her own actions, especially upon seeing another mom's smile falter a bit. Long live Metal, I say, and Long Live being irreverent in these sort of uptight situations. Of course my dear friend never meant to offend, it just came out! Which is what makes it so sweeet of course, and so very Metal. You just can't keep a Metal Diva down, and that friend of mine is always shakin' it up. I love it!!

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum my glorious friend will be dining with Andrew Zimmern tonight, and being filmed whilst doing it! Stephanie, her husband John, and another couple will be on a future episode of Andrew's television show Bizarre Foods eating Lord knows what! Omg, I'd be so nervous about that. Forget about being on camera in front of millions, I'd be more frightened about what I'd have to be putting in my mouth. Considering Andrew travels the world and eats everything from giant grubs to still-beating frog's hearts, I can only imagine. Well, it's only Minnesota mind you...us Northwestern folk don't get too crazy up here. Maybe Stephanie will be eating raw lutefisk?! Perhaps she will be throwing the Metal Hand Signal at the same time! SWEEET!

As for me, I'll be eatin' cake officially one week from today. The countdown has begun! Strange. I'm very excited, although of course a bit melancholy about leaving this great house and neighborhood. We are definitely moving on to bigger and better, but this has been a wonderful place to live. The hardest part of it all will be dealing with the kids and their adversity to change, which of course is to be expected. It seems that there is a lot of change happening for a lot of people lately! A Time of Flux and New Opportunities. That's a good thing, it's always good to shake things up a bit.

Don't Give a Damn About a Bad Reputation

2007-09-14T12:39:00.001-05:00

Ah yes, yesterday got better and better with time. Remember the bitchy car mom and her loud gaping maw at Sully's school? As I waited for my peanut at the end of the day I had another mom come up to me and tell me that she saw that whole thing and felt terrible for me! She was so nice, it restored my faith in my new 'burb. Of course I'm sure the fact that I was blasting "Bad Reputation' by Joan Jett , literally banging my head with my 11 year old daughter sitting next to me was enough to give her pause and think maybe that other mom was right...ha!

From there, on to my daughter's first conference of Junior High--I love her homeroom teacher! Always a good feeling. Then off to Stephanie's house for a rockin' Silpada party! Stephanie has the greatest friends, it was just a blast. As usual she outdid herself with amazing vittles and drinks. I am always totally pampered when I'm at her house--whether I'm just hangin' or being Susie Sales!!!

Today I get ready to welcome my brother and two of my nephews who will be crashing here tonight. Tomorrow bro John will be in a soccer tournament nearby, looking forward to that. I'm not usually a sporto, as you all know, but once in a while an outdoor sporting event can really be fun--especially when it's a beautiful fall day!

I think we'll be having another IKEA experience this weekend as well--why do we do it to ourselves?? I'm praying they have what we are looking for, the makings of my new Kitchen Island we'll be putting together for the new house. Did I say WE'LL be putting together?! Guess that will be the Coreman...heh heh.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Welcome to Cake Eater World...

2007-09-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Nothing like having your day started by being yelled at by some uppity Mom in a Lexus at your son's new school. I was innocently ignoring the 'no parking sign' to quickly run my son in--although of course I know I'm 'breaking the law' by doing so, who can resist that little face needing his Mommy?? This and the fact that I've seen many other moms doing this very same thing got me out of my car and heading into the school, only to hear a loud blaring horn accompanied by a loud blaring voice behind me. Long story short, this woman started off by saying," What makes you so special that you think you can ignore the sign? Can't you read??" uh, hello. This woman was totally ranting, it was actualy hilarious. She even asked me who Sullivan's teacher was so she could report her, since she had told me it was okay to do just what I was doing. Like I was going to tell some crazy lady with obvious anger management issues where my son is every day??? (that's one of those things I wish I had said to this woman at the moment, but alas, I was too shocked by the fact that she was yelling at me to be witty) I have to say it did make me think twice about the kind of 'burb we are going to be living in, after I went into the classroom and upon telling the teacher who was completely aghast at the story and hearing another mom close by describing this woman to a tee and saying that she also yelled at a friend of hers for the same thing, I felt better. You have to feel sorry for a person like that, really--imagine going through life known as a complete B?? OK, sometimes that's a good thing, not in this case!

Not only did I myself need to rant about this thing because these kinds of confrontations always make me uneasy and angry for quite some time after, but it also makes me want to get a point across...when are people going to learn that someone is much more likely to listen to what you have to say if you are NICE about it? Elementary School 101, people. If this woman is truly worried about the safety of our children, then more power to her. But she could easily say in a nice voice, "I'm sorry, but did you realize that you aren't supposed to park here? I know it's a pain but I am worried about the safety of the kids. Maybe you could park over *there* if you have to run in? Thanks!" Wow, now wouldn't that have made both of our days so much nicer? But of course I have a sneaking suspision that the safety of the children really isn't her main concern, I think it's just plain trying to make herself heard in a world where she must not get that very often. I drove away looking at yet another empty car parked in the circle wishing she were still there so I could point and say, "SEE!" I'm sure she wished she had seen that too, yet another innocent soul to pounce upon to make her feel worthy. I promise when I have my Cadillac I will NOT act that way...ha!

OK! Enough ranting. I have yet another lovely day ahead of me--I may even go shoe shopping. A girl needs a new pair of fall shoes, that's just all there is to it. I am loving the glossy patent leather pumps that are in style right now--that candy apple red color is to die for. So is the sparkly pewter! ooooh! How is a girl to decide? The nice thing is that I have great boots, shoes, and tennies so really I only need one pair of funky fun shoes this season to rock my Silpada parties. Need, she says. heh.

And as a matter of fact, I just happen to have a Silpada party tonight! At Stephanie's house! WOO! I can't wait, what fun that will be. Stephanie could be pushing Life Insurance Policies at her house and it would still be a fun party. That girl knows how to entertain and of course you can't get better company. So I'm very much looking forward to that!

Back to School Shopping

2007-09-07T11:47:00.000-05:00

(not the most attractive photo of me, but at over-40, I just don't give a shinola anymore! yeah!)

Ah yes, the school year has begun indeed, which means weekly coffee dates once again with Stephanie--and now Kim!!--and Metal Mommy gets to go shopping. I had a couple of gift cards burning a hole in Ms. Coach and of course now that I'm free to take all the time I need (well, at least of a 6 hour day) to contemplate Gap Classic boot cut jeans or Curvy fashion ones, I'm going to take advantage. And here's some good news, at least to Metal Mommy who has had 2 kids me...the rise of jeans is rising once again. Oh, you can still get the low-rise, but now you have a choice of low, mid or high. I'm not a high-rise jeans type person, but middle is JUST right. No more Muffin Top! Wooo! Unless you are a total Skinny Minnie, low rise jeans definitely give you the dreaded Muffin Top, Bacon Belt, whatever you want to call it. Whatever it is you call it, it's not attractive, so this is a very good thing. I guess fashion had to make up for Wide Leg pants that are now in style--had to throw us shorties who wouldn't be caught dead in such things a bone. I mean, isn't that Wide Leg pant thing what rebel kids wear in Junior High and High School, along with pants that hang down past their butts?? Well, I guess one way to get them to stop rebeling with them is to make them fashionable. We practically had the butt thing going with those low-rise jeans.

But enough about fashion! (for now.) After a bit of a rough start, school is now going fabulously for both kids. They are getting into their grooves, thank goodness. Here's a nice photo of Sullivan looking pretty relaxed at his new desk. No worries there!

Into a busy weekend ahead with a goumet dinner and a Silpada Jewelry party. Yay!

Another School Year

2007-09-04T07:17:00.000-05:00

Lordy Lordy, I just sent my daughter off to the wolves...to her first day of Junior High at a brand new school. I think Coreman and I are more nervous than she is, neither of us slept a wink last night. She on the other hand, said she slept like a baby and she seemed cool as a cuke this morning. Soon I'll be sending Sullivan off to his new school as a 1st grader, as well. sigh.

Of course any parent is lying that says they don't look forward to that first day of school--well, at least any home-parent. My days to myself again! It feels good after a month of craziness. This past week of getting the kids registered and all of the rigamarole that goes along with that was quite overwhelming, on top of all of the moving stuff. I'll celebrate my new-found all day freedom by having coffee with my peeps this morning, yahoo! Now that Kim has her new job, she can join Stephanie and I for our weekly coffee ritual. Stephanie's Nathan is also starting a new school today, and with a new job to talk about as well, I'm sure the coffee shop will be buzzing this morning!!

Somehow this week we also managed to slip in a day at the State Fair. Nothing says 'end of the summer' like the State Fair. Once again our fine daughter managed to get her artwork accepted--and this time she won a blue ribbon!!!!! It was all I could do not to stand around the display telling everyone that peeked in that MY DAUGHTER drew that cool blue-ribbon-winning haunted castle. (yes, a haunted castle. very metal indeed.) We ate the usual fair fare and had a wonderful time. A family tradition!

And, a happy happy birthday to our sweet Sir Digby, who turned one yesterday. What a gift he has been to our family! Here he is with his new birthday toy!

Let Them Eat Cake!

2007-08-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

And eat cake I shall, apparently, now that I am going to be living in a new 'uppity 'burb. I didn't grow up here in Minneapolis so it's all Greek to me, but I guess anyone who lives in my new zip code is given the lovely term 'Cake Eater'. It's beyond me as there are definitely enough well-to-do people where I am currently, but there it is. I guess it started way back in the high school sport world, where fans from Edina would shout to the others, "your dad works for my dad", and things like that. I suppose I can see why people that grew up hearing that hold a grudge, but ah well. I'm sure those things aren't said anymore, not in this PC world we live in now. (at least not out loud. eeek.) All I know is we found a bigger house with more space around us for LESS money in both house and taxes than we are paying here. So why wouldn't I eat cake?!

Life has been crazy crazy around here lately--first trying to find a home, then finding one and getting all of the details sorted out. Then there is the fact that the kids will be in a new school district, and all of the rigamarole that goes with that. And that needs to be sorted out in all of a week! Both Vivian and I need to get our heads around the fact that at 6th grade in this new district she will be starting Junior High. eeeek! Neither of us are prepared for that! She'll be jumping right in. She's a bit nervous (of course!) and sad about missing her friends (of course again!) but she's also excited for her new adventure.

Meanwhile I'm a busy party girl with my new Silpada Jewelry business. I have to say, it is a blast--and where else could I make over $500 for a few hours' work?? Gotta love that. I get to sport lovely jewels, hang out with women at parties and make good money. Nice!

In all of this craziness the Coreman and I managed to squeeze in a date--the other night we attended this cool benefit called 21 For Kids, a dinner and auction put on by Wild hockey player Mark Parrish to benefit local charities that help out kids in need. It was a blast, and I was all ready to plunk down some serious ching for an autographed poster from the latest Harry Potter movie, "The Order of the Phoenix". Oh man, when I saw that I was freaking out, knowing how much both Vivian and I love the books and movies. I was totally caught up in the hype of it all and before I knew it I was writing down $550 on the line. Yikes! Probably lucky for us, we didn't win it...it went for $900. Whoa! Coreman kept joking that I'd be giving up my new washer and dryer in the new home for the poster. I suppose he was right! We've got to sort out our priorities, after all. (in the wise words of Ronald Weasley.) The event itself was a blast--amazing food, hob-nobbing with the stars (at least star hockey players, not that I knew who anyone was) and listening to a fun band called The Zoo. All in all it was fun to get gussied up and go out with my man. These days those evenings are few and far between!

And tonight, gussied and out with my peeps Stephanie and Kim! Those lovely ladies are taking me out for a pre-birthday dinner, I am so excited! I haven't given one thought to my birthday coming up, honestly. But I am so happy for any excuse to spend time with my lovely friends. So much has been going on in our lives and we've been too busy to dish about it! Maybe I'll order a nice slice of CAKE for dessert....;-)

Where In the World??

2007-08-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, nothing like a day at the pool with Stephanie. And dang, that woman can even make a bowl of popcorn be gourmet. Yum, delicious! I don't know what she does, but it must be the Smokey Touch. :-) Yeah!

I can't tell you how nice it was to just sit and do nothing for a couple of hours, life has been so crazy-hectic lately! Things are moving forward with our house sale, but still not finalized. Ahhh, the house game. It's amazing how complicated it is. Working on selling this baby and then figuring out where we'll end up...but it's fun. I've always liked a bit of adventure, and hey, not knowing where you'll be living in the next couple of months is definitely adventure! It's easy to get hung up on certain things you like or dislike, but you know, I'll tell ya...what it all comes down to is having your family. Your family IS your home, really. I'm a true believer that things happen for a reason, and if something is meant to be it's meant to be. I realize that it's quite possibly just a major coping mechanism, but hey. It works for me....

So stay tuned. Soon we'll be playing Where in the World is Metal Mommy??

All I Ever Wanted

2007-08-12T16:50:00.000-05:00

Vacation, that is. (are you singing that Go-Gos song now? If you are of my generation, you are...!) Just got back and it was heavenly. A week's worth of fun, relaxation, watching the kids have a ball and hanging with my childhood friend and her wonderful family by the lake. When I'm there I literally have no clue what's going on in the world for an entire week, and that my friends is a wonderful thing. I also had my very first Silpada jewelry party there, and even though it was a bit quiet because the staff decided to go have their annual dinner that very evening and therefore many guests went out as well, it was a success. I have also received my first official check. woo! I am a Money Maker once again, a contributor. Feels good, I have to say.

We got home and it was right back at it. Actually, we didn't even really get to be home...not an hour after we arrived we had a showing since our house is now officially on the market. We walked in the door, talked to our agent, and realized we needed to high-tail it back out of there. Crazy! All of us dirty, needing a shower, just wanting to get in and unwind. My lovely friends Stephanie and John were so kind to let us crash their pad, even with them leaving us to take their weekend drive. Of course Digby has to come with us whenever we leave the house, and he proceeded to pee on their floor. ! He hasn't done that kind of thing for months, it must have been a combo of being at Grandma's for a week, being whisked over to Stephanie's, and then smelling ol' Sigmunds' smells all over. sigh. From there it was dropping Vivian off to a party, but not before a trip to Target to buy a gift we had already bought for the birthday friend that had gotten lost in our house cleaning frenzy. (I have since found said gift in a kitchen drawer along with my baking utensils. How silly of me not to look in there in the first place....!!) We had yet another showing at 5:00, so off to Petsmart we went, the only cool place we could think to go to that would take the Digs. They may be seeing a lot of us...! Nothing like 2 fast food meals eaten in the car, in one day. Is this house-selling thing fun yet?! And it's only week one....

The good news is we do have some interested buyers already, but we're in that frustrating in-between stage where we don't know what's really going to happen. It would be amazing in this market to have or house sold within a couple of weeks. We shall see! The one we love is still available, I'm just holding my breath on that one. Could life be any more crazy right now??
Don't answer that...!

A Troubled Bridge Over Water

2007-08-03T07:51:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you have heard about the 35W bridge that collapsed here in Minneapolis. What a tragedy! Imagine going along at rush hour, sitting on that bridge, all of a sudden you are dropping 35 feet. I guess the whole thing went down in about 4 seconds. The only saving grace with that is that no one had time to think or panic, it just went down. Of course they are still checking the river below, I'm sure many cars are in there. Very scary. Vivian's first comment when I told her was, "Voldemort is back!", referring of course to Harry Potter's nemesis, who's return brought chaos to the Muggle (non-wizarding folk) world by destroying things all around, including major bridges. Whereas this event here certainly isn't anything to joke about, the fact and reason that it happened is just as un-explainable and bizarre. Luckily, so far no one I know has been effected by it. My heart goes out to anyone that has been.

And speaking of Harry Potter, I'm about halfway through the last book, "The Deathly Hallows"! Not bad, considering my daughter had it with her at camp for a week, and in between reading I've been frantically trying to get our house ready to put on the market in ONE WEEK, packing and gearing up for our vacation, and preparing for my first jewelry show up there as a new http://www.silpada.com/public/ Representative. whew. Life is busy right now, to say the least. But it's all good! I am certainly not complaining!

In all of my running around to prepare for everything I've mentioned, I had to sneak in a little personal shopping and ran into Steve and Barry's, a clothing store which just so happened to be conveniently in a location I needed to go. I myself have never heard of this store, but I knew that it carried Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line, "Bitten". My Friend Kim had checked it out and came back with a couple pair jeans--jeans that fit wonderfully, no less, and cost next to nothing. huh. I have to say I wasn't impressed. I tried on some jeans, and they sure didn't fit me well. Granted I wasn't spending a lot of time and only tried on a couple of styles, and of course jeans fit everyone differently. But the overall look of the clothes is just 'eh'. If you need t shirts, polo shirts, that kind of thing, than I'd say it's definitely worth a look. But I guess I expected the funky and fun style that goes along with SJP--at least as Carrie Bradshaw. And c'mon, can SJP be anyone else?!

Off to vaca tomorrow! Boy, do we need it. I can't believe when we get back we'll be school shopping. Whoa! Time does fly.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

2007-07-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

An interesting topic...a friend of mine got one of those 'getting to know you' questions whilst he was interviewing for a job. If you could invite 5 people to dinner, dead or alive, who would they be? It got me thinking how I would answer that question. ( I love stuff like this, although I don't like them on the spot!) Here's my list:

1. JRR Tolkien--but of course.
2. Marilyn Manson--what can I say, the guy fascinates me!
3. The Queen of England--I'm fascinated by royalty. And hey, wouldn't it be fun to see her and Marilyn in the same room?!
4. My husband--but of course!
5. And Orlando. A little eye candy. And my husband wouldn't mind.

And how about you?

Crazy Busy Life

2007-07-27T06:39:00.001-05:00

What do starting a new business, interviewing for a possible position on radio, taking kids to and from camps and lessons, and getting ready to put a house on the market so one can buy the house of their dreams have in common? Nothing at all, but they are all components of my crazy life right now. Hence why I have not been blogging! Not that I don't want to share the news, oh no...it's just that some things are up in the air, and quite frankly the thought of trying to organize it all in writing has been overwhelming. It's been hard enough to organize it all in my LIFE....

But I'm not complaining! It's all good. The kids are having a good summer with their activities, as they should. We've been enjoying our Rec Center pool a lot in his HOT weather, and being there is always like being a party with neighborhood friends. I don't think I've ever gone to that pool and not seen ONE person that I know or at least recognize.

Remember how I attended my friend Pam's Silpada Jewelry party about a month ago and casually mentioned that even though they seemed fun, Home Party Girl was just not me? Well, I guess it is. I can't quite even explain how or why it happened, but I found myself on the Silpada web site just poking around and reading up about it, and the more I read, the more excited I got at the thought that maybe I COULD do something like that. Again, I don't fancy myself as Susie Sales, but what's great about it is the jewelry really does sell itself. It is gorgeous, and so much fun to wear! At a party all I do is set up my baubles on a table, no presentation or anything. Just chatting, gabbing, getting girlie with women-folk. What's not to love about that?! OK, calling up your friends and practically begging them to host yet another home party for you can be a little daunting...but at the same time, why not? They get free jewels out of the deal, I get to hang out with them for an evening. It's a win-win. I figure once I work out of my circle of friends, there will be no more Pity Parties. And you know, there is nothing wrong with learning how to ask for something. That's something I haven't always been good at, and in the words of Loreal hair color, I'm worth it! So are you. So I've been busy as a bee learning the ropes and getting everything set up to go. My first party will be up at the resort we're getting ready to take off to! Oh, did I mention in the midst of everything we are also trying to plan our cabin vacation???

Meeting with the program director (and assistant) of a radio station, you say? And that's all I'm going to say. Mostly because I don't even know the details, to be be honest. But you will know when I do....:-)

A new house! I love my house, don't get me wrong. I love living where we do, I'm thankful for all that we have. But sometimes you reach a point where you realize that you could probably get more for your money if you just get that much farther from the big city. Only 5 minutes farther, really. On a whim because it would be fun--ever since I fell in love with Fairy-Tale house that is totally out of reach--we decided to just see what was out there, and before we knew it we had walked into our dream house. A dream house that could possibly become a reality....if it stays on the market as long as we have ours on to sell, that is. The sad fact is the people won't accept a contingent offer right now, so we're scrambling. I'm trying really hard to just say 'whatever will be, will be', it's really all we can do....but that's tough. Both Cory and I, and even our realtor, gasped and/or screamed as we rounded each corner of this place, knowing then and there that this was Our New Home. Time will tell, I suppose....but anyone that knows me knows that I am not a patient person!!! Keep your fingers crossed for us, please!

So nearing my birthday month here, I'd say 40 is going to go out with a bang, wouldn't you? Whew!

More Fun in the Hot Hot Sun

2007-07-07T13:07:00.001-05:00

Or in the shade, as often as we can be there in this balmy weather. Last night we had the Billadeaus and pizza on our patio. (not necessarily in that order.) Nice! Nothing like some good food and good fun with chatting and Ladder Ball. What is it about lawn games that is so darn fun? You stand around and swat away bugs, but still. Good times.

Today we went to see/hear my friend Eva's band Umbrella Bed play outside in the Walker Sculpture Gardens. What fun! Their ska music is definitely something you can't sit still to as you're listening. Even Sullivan got up and did some dancing. Sadly the kids didn't last long before they wanted to walk around and we eventually found ourselves inside the cool building looking at art. I'm one of those people who just doesn't 'get' a lot of modern art. I'm sure if I knew more about how it was made and what the artist was trying to get across it would be different, but so much of that stuff makes me scratch my head and go, 'huh'? Or worse yet I think, pshaw, give me a canvas and I could splash some paint on there..voila! Modern Art.

Sometimes things do catch my eye however, and I love it when that happens. Today I discovered a new artist that intrigued me, her name is Julie Mehretu. These are the kind of paintings/sketches that I could look at for hours. To me they are retro yet modern, clean yet ethereal. Industrial, yet one can also envision trees and movement in them. Sheesh, listen to me--the next thing you know I'm going to start wearing a beret and snapping my fingers, spouting off poetry whilst I sip my double half-caff latte with no foam. Anyway, I like her stuff. Too bad the Walker didn't have any posters or postcards available.

We did however nab a couple of cool Picasso prints that we're gonna frame and add to our changing living room. Picasso is one of those artists that much of the time I don't 'get', but there are definitely some of his paintings that I enjoy. I have noticed that the older I get, the more appreciation I have for the abstract. I'm sure both prints I bought would have elicited a loud resounding "eeeeuuu"! from me in my younger years.

So I'm feeling quite artsy fartsy today, having taken in fine music and fine art. Oh! (said in a snooty English accent) Is there any way to sweat distinguishably??? If so, I'll try to do it as a carry on through the sweltering weekend...

Burgers and Honey-Dos!

2007-07-06T08:08:00.000-05:00

It's always fun to celebrate a birthday, even the birthday of the ol' U S of A. (who, poor girl, is WAY over 40.) I have to say I've been more than a bit embarrassed to be an American at times lately, but hey, it's not the country's fault. It's still pretty darn nice to live in such a beautiful place and I am thankful for the freedoms we have. And that's about as political as I'm gonna get.

So! Back to the REAL reason I celebrate the 4th of July--hanging out with Stephanie and John!!! I suppose being the 3rd year in a row, it has officially become our tradition to spend the patriotic holiday with our dear friends who most conveniently live right on the golf course that offers an incredible fireworks display. Not only is it a luxury not to have to fight for parking, deal with a crowd or fight our way out when the show is over, but of course it's quite luxurious hanging out with our lovely friends and as ALWAYS eating amazing food. That Stephanie even makes a simple burger the most gourmet treat ever. We had a great visit from sister Stacey and baby Cooper as well, I finally got to hear the oh-so-cute exclamations of "Oh!" he makes at everything and anything. Adorable! The weather was great--we did get shooed out of the pool with a bit of a storm, but it passed us by and didn't really thwart any of the fun.

Coreman had taken a few days off before the 4th, so we got a lot done around here. Our living room is now 'Wedgewood Grey", something we've envisioned ever since the arrival of our white leather couch. It looks amazing, almost like it was always that color. A new dining room light, some driveway patch, setting up wifey's new lovely pink cell phone....plenty of Honey-Do's got checked off the list.

But now, back to reality, and into a busy month! July is filled with camps and activities for the kids and then before we know August will be here and we'll be heading to Brookside. Crazy.

Home = Castle, Once Again

2007-07-03T13:05:00.001-05:00

What is it with castles up for sale all of a sudden? This of course is the castle to end all castles...the ancient home to Vlad the Impaler, Count Dracula himself. Now we all know that Drac was not a very nice guy...not a vampire, mind you, but definitely had a taste for blood as he tortured and impaled thousands of people...so maybe the place wouldn't have a very good vibe, but still. You can NOT get more metal than owning Dracula's Castle, that's just all there is to it. You'd just have to do some serious Feng Shui to get out all of that bad chi. Hey, if you could afford this place that is predicted to go for more than 130 mill, you can afford a honkin' crystal to hang in the center to ward off evil spirits.

Mysteries of Life

2007-06-29T07:54:00.000-05:00

Sigh. My last child has lost his first tooth...definitely a rite of passage for both of us! It's funny how it went from just a titch loose to wiggling all over the place, and then the next day, gone! It was really bugging him at that last stage, and I guess he just grabbed it with a paper towel and pulled it right out! Sadly, I was not here to witness it myself.

I was out looking at my Dream Home. We aren't really planning on moving but it was just one of those things...a couple of weeks ago I dropped Vivian off at her friend's house and noticed there was a house for sale on the street. It's an amazing area--still our little town, but in a very secluded wooded part of it. Picking up the available flyer I was surprised to see it less expensive than I thought it would be...of course, still out of our range--but it got the wheels a-spinnin'. Before I knew it our real estate agent was opening the door and I was getting a first-hand view. I could have wept, it was so amazing. The yard was the kicker, a half acre of trees so thick you could barely even see any homes behind it. Of course the gourmet kitchen that has been featured on the cover of a magazine didn't hurt, either. sigh. It's fun to dream, but it can be darn depressing too. I mean, I can dream about a 15 million dollar castle but I don't really pine about it since it's so out of reach. This place is out of reach too, but it could probably be done if we really worked at it. But that means changing a lot around here and sacrificing other things, and who wants to be house-poor?? OK, sometimes I think I do, but I know it's not very smart. Guess I'd better go back to putting my energy into my Special Purpose...of course a new house would be something to take my mind off that now, wouldn't it?? Funny how that works....!!!

And speaking of that, last night I attended a Silpada Jewelry party at my friend Pam's house--that was fun. The jewelry was actually very nice, and of course spending a night with women drinking wine and playing with girlie things is never a bad thing. I often wonder about these home-party business things...of course on the outside they seem like the perfect job for me. Getting paid to party! But of course the nitty-gritty is really investing a bunch of your own money up front to buy all of the stuff to display, and then having to get out there and SELL. I am not a salesperson, I feel way too guilty trying to push anything on anybody. When I sold my own jewelry I just sat behind the table and answered questions, I didn't believe in trying to SELL anything. If a person left without buying a thing, so be it! The last thing I would want is for someone to buy one of my pieces because they felt they had to. And of course at those parties, don't we always feel like we can't leave without purchasing?? Ladies, don't we always feel guilty if we don't??? I can see the men reading this just shaking their heads. Don't even try to understand, my guy friends, you just won't. It's just yet another one of those mysteries of life.

Summer Fun

2007-06-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

As KISS would say, Hot Hot, Hotter than Hell. (I know I am dating myself, but anyone who ever keeps up with this blog already knows I'm FORTY.) Did I get that song stuck in your head now?? (that is, if you are KISS fans.) That was my good deed for the day. You're welcome.

Yes, I'm still here, yes, I'm still alive, yes, everything is okay. It's sweet that people worry about me if I don't blog. Always nice to know someone out there would probably send the search party if I didn't post for a month or so. Makes me think when I'm old and alone that I'll keep this blog going, if nothing else for that very reason!!! Lucky you. Then I'll be going on and on about my poop, my bunions, and all of that fun stuff. yahoo!

No, I've just been a busy Metal Mommy taking in the summer. Other than this Hot as Haities weather, it's been lovely. Just waking up late in the morning with--on most days--nothing to rush off to. And if we do have something to rush off to, it's usually something fun. Here is Sullivan hanging at my friend Dawn's pool. Dawn kept telling me to invite myself over, and damn if I didn't put the Nice Girl aside and do it. Inviting myself over to someone's house is something I've never been able to do--even when Coreman wants to just stop by for an un-announced visit with someone at a perfectly reasonable hour I feel uncomfortable. But Dawn has been insisting that I do it, she and Mark want people to come use their pool--and who am I to say no to that?! :-) I suppose it's pretty metal to just announce your impending presence.

Hanging with friends, my old boyfriend Hayden's 40th birthday party, hitting the Rec Center pool with the kids...all good summer fun. The only bad thing is I've hardly seen my dear Golden Girls Kim and Stephanie at all so far! Whassup with that?! Ladies, I miss you. Isn't it bizarre, you'd think summer time would be the time you see your peeps the most. Not when you have a family....you are busy busy busy taking kids here and there and keeping them entertained. Ah well, such is life. Makes the good times when we are together that much sweeter.

So all of you stay cool, safe and enjoy the summer! We will be lamenting it's demise before we know it....

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-17T13:54:00.001-05:00

To all of you Dads out there. Hope you're having a wonderful day! Coreman's began with wonderful homemade goodies from the kids and a nice breakfast of peanut butter toast and strawberries made by Viv. Then at church he got to lector and read aloud the word 'bosom' not once, but twice. Well, I guess two bosoms are better than one. Amen!

It's been a fun-filled weekend. Our neighborhood parade was yesterday, I have a running date with my friend Darcie and family to meet by the corner and celebrate the festivities together. What is it about a parade?? There's always laughs to be had at the 'Daughters of the Westerly Winds', the thought of sinking your teeth into a giant Big Mac or getting attacked by the Vulcans, a group of guys that always seem to mark Darcie and I with their black grease paint 'V's on our cheeks. Ug. At least it's not kissing anymore, they used to come around and plant one on you! Not PC anymore, I'm sure, so no more of that. As much as we groan when we see the dreaded Vulcans come down the road, it dawned on me that the day they pass us right on by without so much as a glance to mark the pretty young thing across the street will be a sad day indeed. Then we'll know we are REALLY old!!! This year even Sullivan got branded.

And who should come marching--or riding!--down the street about halfway through the parade? My daughter herself. She and Coreman marched for the Children First organization. We were all going to do it, but between my aching back (that still hasn't completely recovered from the gourmet dinner night!) and the fact that Sullivan would really much rather watch than participate, he and I sat on the sidelines. I was a little disappointed, I have to admit...I had my pageant wave downpat. Vivian had hers going, though...so much that she complained of a sore wrist afterwards! Hilarious. I don't think she got much sympathy from the sweaty walkers.

After getting myself washed up and dolled up, my friend Donna and I went out for a night on the town. We headed downtown to a restaurant called Brits, and enjoyed a meal up on the roof. It was a busy place, all night we were being approached by men... who wanted to take our extra chairs. It was a little disappointing that that was all they wanted, I have to say. Hey, I'm a happily married woman but it's been a while since I've been picked up on and it would have been fun to say no. We did manage to have some good fun with a couple of guys, tho...near the end we had been sitting and gabbing with our bill on the table. A guy came over to us and asked us if we had paid our bill. I can't remember his exact words, unfortunately, but he was very rude and was basically telling us that he would take our table as soon as we leaved. ! After he sauntered off to stare at us from the bar, Donna looked at me and said, "No Way is that guy getting this table." I approached a couple standing close by and asked them if they wanted it, and we worked it out just right that as the guys were coming in for the kill we quickly swapped places with the couple. ha! No one gets rewarded for rude behavior, and we made sure of it. Go Donna, I love the way your mind works! You're so METAL!

Today, just relaxing around the house and getting ready for the big yard sale next weekend. We are total gluttons for punishment. Every year we haul all of our crap out in the front yard, sit out there in either the sweltering heat or pouring rain all day and haggle with people that offer a quarter for something that is marked 50 cents that we actually paid 50 dollars for. But every year we have to do it. The best part is that I leave my sale and go spend my money we've made on other people's junk. It's all part of the Circle of Yard Sale. Then that junk gets put our in our sale in the next year or so. Enjoy your weekend!

For the Love of a Shallot

2007-06-10T15:55:00.000-05:00

Not the painting of the Lady of Shallot, mind you. (although it is quite lovely.) I think shallots are my new favorite cooking ingredient. Not that this is a cooking blog, oh no...I could never compete with my dear friend Stephanie on that one, and wouldn't even try...but I just had to share that for my latest gourmet dinner group recipe it required the use of shallots in not one but two of my recipes, and I am now thinking I need to incorporate them in a lot of my dishes instead of plain ol' bourgeois onions.

Shallots ARE onions, in fact, just a small gourmet version of them. (so it should not surprise you that I like them--me and my expensive taste.) They look a lot like garlic, but are a sweeter version of the onion. They are cute. And they taste good. So what's not to like?? I made a simple recipe of Roasted Potatoes With Herbs that called for them and upon smelling this dish in the oven my husband told me I outdid myself and the kitchen smelled the best it's ever smelled. huh. I'll be putting shallots into everything now! What honey, you don't like shallot in your blueberry kuchen?? But you said they smelled the best ever...

My dinner of said potatoes to compliment the main dish of Mediterranean Chicken for my dinner party turned out wonderful, too bad 3 out of us 4 women felt so crummy. You had to laugh...me after standing and cooking all day was shuffling from point A to point B because of a sore back by night's end...Dawn had pulled something in her butt (!) and poor Rosemarie was weak, tired and dizzy from taking some nasty heavy-duty meds to kill off some lovely parasites that made a run for the border via her intestines from Mexico. What a bunch of old ladies we felt like! Ridic. But we weren't going to let that keep us from eating well and having some good laughs! Oh no. Sadly, because of my gimpy back, I didn't get to taking any photos of my dish--and I was quite proud of it, too. Beat! You'll just have to make it yourself.

Good Times

2007-06-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

Good times to be had by all at Bar Billadeau last night. Kim was worried at one point that Pat might cancel because of an impending storm....I guess as a kid at any dark cloud he would sequester himself down in the basement with the essentials...a radio, flashlight, blanket (for falling glass) and a bag of Doritos. I decided to make him feel more at ease I'd let him borrow Sullivan's handy emergency generator-powered wind up radio complete with flashlight and siren, and of course the chips. (forgot the blankie. But I figured Kim would have that.) Here's a photo of Pat looking afraid, but really there was nothing to fear. Just some wind, not even a drop of rain. Poor Pat, I think he really wanted to take home that full bag of Doritos, but alas, big sister Kim ripped into 'em and he was forced to share. I didn't get home until midnight with a sore throat from all my laughing. I was a tired Metal Mommy this morning!

Busy day today. I have a lot of errand running to do during my last few days of freedom before the kids are home from school for the summer. One of my errands was to run to the Mall (gee darn) to get some make up. Stephanie got me hooked on an eye pencil from Bobbi Brown--it was one of her rejects that I stole from Vivian's stash--and as it is getting down to the nubbins I had to go get a replacement. I ended up getting two--one of that color, and one a lighter color that seems more suitable for summer days to me. Then I decided to head over to Lancome and splurge on a mascara. I hate spending money on mascara, it seems so boring and dumb to me. But, I will say, there is a difference between the spendy ones and the drugstore ones. I try to go cheap and I always end up with clumps. There is nothing more frustrating than clumpy mascara. Lancome was having a 'free gift' thing--man, I love those things--but wouldn't you know I was $6 under the minimum purchase to get it?? Good grief. Even though I really wanted it I refused to buy something else that I didn't really need or want purely on the principal of the thing. If a girl spends $23 on a flipping mascara then she should surely get a free gift. As if reading my mind, the sales lady then plopped a clear plastic tote on the counter chock-full of lipsticks and eyeshadow quads, telling me that they made some sort of 'announcement' over the loudspeaker and that I got to pick 2 things out of that bag. Nice! So I did get a free gift after all...maybe not the tote and the flip flops, but who needs flip flops when you've got pearly pink Crocs?? I had to kind of laugh at the announcement thing--don't get me wrong, I'm happy they do it, but what is Macy's now...Kmart? The whole Blue Light Special thing?? Too funny.

This afternoon Sully and I will head over to Vivian's school to hear her and her classmates read reports that they've done. It's a very cute thing that her class seems to do twice a year, they make a party out of it. According to Vivian's disappointment I guess I am not the cool Mom since I am bringing something healthy as a snack--I realize it's not very metal to bring grapes instead of cupcakes to a school function but hey, I'm just bringing was was asked of me. Don't you remember that, tho? How the snack you brought to school totally reflected your coolness-factor? Hey, it could have been the roasted cauliflower I am eating right now as my lunch. (thank you, Stephanie!) For some reason I am the only one who appreciates that in this family....

And tonight a retirement party for one of Vivian's old teachers. I'm very sad to see her go, I was hoping that eventually Sullivan could have her as well. Sigh, the passing of time brings change. Some good, some bad, some bittersweet. I think I'll go back to lunch with my cauliflower and my sweet son who just got home from school and revel in the moment.

On My Patio

2007-06-06T16:55:00.001-05:00

Yes, 'tis spring/summer, and I'm having everyone on my patio once again. Why is the 70's Donna Summer hit "On the Radio" in my head right now? You know, instead of singing "On the radio, whoa, on the radio" my version is "On the patio, whoa, on the patio"...see? Now you'll be stuck on that all day. heh heh.

Softball party! We had the first one of the season, it's always good to just get it out there and be done right away. A wipe of the hands, we did our duty. And it was fun. Coreman plays on the Wooddale Bulldogs team and quite frankly I don't know how good they are because I never get to see a game. My little guy is still at the age where sitting in the stands and watching grown men hit balls with bats and run around on a diamond is just not as alluring as the nearby playground equipment. And because he's still little, I can't just let him go play. But the burgers and dogs on the patio was great fun, and the weather was perfect. Lucky, since it's been storming/raining a lot lately.

Last night our friends Pam and Gary joined us a for a nice patio evening as well. We chatted and ate salty chips and sweet yummy cupcakes from Trader Joe's, (thanks and no-thanks P and G!!!) by the lovely lights with our new bug zapper that Coreman got for his birthday letting out the occasional 'zap!' What a satisfying sound that is, I have to say. One less bloodsucker in the world. Or on MY patio.

Tonight, I will be on Kim's patio, with her and her hilarious wish-he-were-my-brother Pat. We are indeed supposed to get storms, but hey, the beer and/or wine will be pouring and we'll be laughing...so who the heck cares?!

Dream a Little Dream

2007-06-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

I'm doin' my homework. Homework, you ask? As a (Metal) Mommy, does that mean studying food nutrition? Parenting manuals? The long-term effects of tooth decay if your kids don't floss daily? Nope. None of the above. (although, the last one I may pay more attention to, now that I think about it....!) I am listening to Andrew Zimmern's talk show on the radio.

Remember a while ago how I mentioned that a dream of mine was to be on FM107 talk radio? Well, ladies and germs, I am proof that dreams can come true. I hesitate to even mention this at this premature point since my actual date and time hasn't been confirmed yet--but hey, I've already gone ahead and threw it out to the universe (or to the blog world which I'm thinking is the same thing) that I even WANTED to be on the radio and it looks like it's happening, so what the hey! I'm gonna be a glass-half-full-er and I'm just going to bank on it coming through.

Not only am I getting on the radio, my friends, but I am going to be on the one-and-only Andrew Zimmern show, which started yesterday (Monday, June 4th) and will be on Monday through Friday from 1-3 on said FM107.1. As I said we're still working out the details as to when and where, and even exactly what my role will be, but it looks like my contribution is going to have something to do with--*gasp!*-- being the 'Modern Mom', or maybe dare I say, the Metal Mommy? We shall see. At this point I believe I will be calling in to chat with Andrew for anywhere from 7-10 minutes every couple of weeks, but again, to be determined. As you can imagine, I am very excited. What an honor it will be to be a part of Andrew's daily conversation! Andrew and I have been having our own conversations back and forth about it all and as soon as I know the details you will know the details.

So keep on dreaming everyone! Blog about it! Put it out there with all your heart and soul and you may be surprised. I think it really does help...well, that and having support from friends and family, and of course having connections...;-) When it comes right down to it, it's often who you know. But you aren't getting anywhere if you keep that dream to yourself. A little pep talk from The Suz.

Outta My Head for Jewels

2007-06-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

Skulls are still 'in'--thank goodness!--but this one definitely is out...out of somebody's head! It looks like something Captain Jack and his crew would be searching World's End for. This beauty is diamond-encrusted, worth a mere $98 million. That makes my 15 million dollar castle look like steal! And how very metal. The gift for someone who has everything--surely a girl would lose her head over something such as this...ho ho ho!!

As it is, I myself have been bedazzled with a gorgeous bauble compliments of my dear friend Stephanie--an early 41st birthday present!!! Instead of our usual coffee morning at the shop, I recommended that we peruse the Edina Art Fair--a shopper's paradise for all that enjoy the artsy-fartsy. There were many booths with jewelry, but when we passed the one that sported this particular stuff--my, oh my! I would have loved to have a camera, to see all of the women (us included) drooling over these jewels. A person could barely get by the table, the women were coveting everything they thought they *may* want to buy. Stephanie ended up getting herself a gorgeous necklace that was so stunning I had to fight off another woman that was practically ready to rip it off Steph's neck. Whoa! My necklace is to die for itself, a single amazing clear crystal jewel like a magical amulet. Whew. It's enough to make a accessory-lving girl swoon--or lose her head. Thank you thank you, my lovely friend! What a fun morning we had!

A Pot to Plant In

2007-05-29T15:35:00.000-05:00

I am totally into my pot right now, people, and I don't mean cannabis. I do, however, mean a plant--many plants as a matter of fact! My lovely friend Lisa recently took me to Bachman's to pick out my choice of plants to put into the pot she bought me for my 40th birthday. (see, I AM still getting things for my 40th...!) Since my birthday is at the end of August and not exactly good planting time, she had told me that come May 2007 we'd fill 'er up--and we did! Lisa went above and beyond the call of duty and even came back here to plant them. Woo, any time someone else gets their hands dirty for me--you've gotta love that! Pots are my kind of thing--I have a total black thumb and can't grow a thing. With pots, all you have to do is make sure you have the right kind of plant for the area it's going into--shady or sunny--and then water. I can handle that. In fact, now I'm addicted. I can't get enough pot. (s) Our plain old patio is becoming very colorful, and I'm loving it. I even had to buy a Wandering Jew, just because of the name. Fuhgetaboutit!

It may not be the naughty kind of pot, but I think this kind may still be addicting and giving me a high...weee! The other kind may be more metal, of course, but this one is legal.

Happy Memorial Weekend!

2007-05-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

That doesn't sound quite right, does it? Even though we all use this weekend either to get away somewhere or just to relax/party at our own homes, I suppose we should take a moment to think about the reason we even HAVE this holiday.
There. I gave it a moment, and I hope you did too. On to the getaway! We had a nice weekend up north where we not only hung out at 'Grammy's house', but also in Kim and John's brand-spankin' new 32 foot trailer, definitely a home-away-from-home. Parked out on Grammy's beautiful 2-lot lawn, it was a very nice and relaxing place to hang for both the human and canine species. We ate very well and did the shopping-tourist thing. Nice. It was definitely a good thing to get away for a few days.

In the spirit of our friend Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods show on the Travel Channel--that both of my kids adore watching, by the way-- Vivian decided she was going to actually try escargots--or snails--and film herself doing it, with the hopes that it will make it on an episode. (Andrew does indeed ask for videos of people eating bizarre foods.) Of course to many people snails are not a very crazy thing to eat, but it sure is to an eleven-year-old. I have to say, I was impressed that she would even try it. She filmed the whole process from how they were prepared to eating it, and she did it--although the jury is still out as to whether she actually swallowed one and not just the french bread that she also had in her mouth at the same time. Showing off, she popped another one in her mouth but once the camera was off she quickly spat it out on the lawn...! (good thing we were eating outside!) Hilarious. I think she gets points either way. Who knows if Andrew spits things out once the cameras stop rolling?? What say ye, Andrew? Inquiring minds want to know...personally, I don't know how the guy can keep things down like a still-beating frog's heart, a shot of sake half filled with fresh turtle's blood or a live 12 inch or so long mangrove worm--but if it inspires my kids to try some new and interesting things--hooray! Better him than me, is all I can say.

Anyhoo, I hope your Memorial Day festivities were memorable as well...

Seek and Ye Shall Find

2007-05-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, another quest. I've started to realize that with me, it never ends. That's sort of depressing. But then again, what would a girl be without a quest?? Once she's happily married she's not going to go searching for a MAN, for goodness sake, why not the next best thing? Fashion accessories???

Jennifer Garner is going to be mentioned again in my blog, and this time it's not what she's saying--it's what she's wearing. At least in her cover shoot for the May 2007 In Style magazine. The dress she has on is amazing, but I'm not even going to go there--I KNOW it's going to be beyond my reach. But the necklace....I've been thinking about how I need to jazz up my wardrobe with some longer jewelry pieces these days. I am a big choker girl, and my usual necklace length beyond that is a mere 16 inches. Lately though, I had the urge to layer. And if one wants to layer, one needs a long necklace for the final touch. The one that Jen is wearing is perfect, in my humble opinion...big and gaudy, clear lucite so it goes with anything, very glitterati and glam with that giant chandelier-type pendant hanging down. oh yeah. Well dumb me threw the magazine away without looking to see who made the thing, so I was left to do a blind search for 'lucite necklaces' on the internet. Not an easy task.

Lo and behold--here it is!! Or at least one that looks a heck of a lot like it, and that will do. You've gotta love Bluefly. Granted I'm not running out and buying it right now since I just bought my lovely Do Son perfume--a girl does have to be someone practical--but I'm definitely bookmarking this one. There is something so satisfying about having something in mind and actually finding it! The quest has been found. Now I can rest. Until the next one comes along, that is....

For My 40th Birthday

2007-05-19T13:20:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of my 40th birthday--which you readers know I'm STILL milking for all it's worth--I'm wishing someone would buy me this castle. Okay, so it's actually closer to my 41st birthday at this point than my 40th...but you could still get it for me for 41, I'd let you. Even my son knows about my love for castles, which he proved just today as he showed me a beautiful painting of one in an antique store and said, "Look Momma! You would like that!" A Metal Mommy bringing up her children in a castle. I could totally see it. Now if only I had a cool 15 mill..... Sure, I would spend my entire lifetime cleaning the thing...as soon as you finished cleaning all of the rooms, the first one you did would be full of cobwebs...but I think I can honestly say I would enjoy castlework. There is a survey on the CNN page asking if you'd want to live in a castle--would you?

Happy Birthday Coreman!

2007-05-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

Well, it's actually tomorrow, but since we're having a celebration of 3, count 'em 3 birthdays tomorrow, I figured I probably wouldn't get a chance to post. May is like Christmas around here--no less than 4 major brithdays and 3 Mother's Days to celebrate. Since the Coreman shares his birthday week with his sister and Mom, we often kill of those birdies with one stone and do a family get-together. We'll be hosting it on our patio and the weather looks perfect. Yeah! Gotta love those spring birthdays.

So Happy Birthday sister-in-law Kim, mother-in-law Connie, and especially my dear hubbie Cory. Where would I be if it weren't for your loving support?? A day to celebrate indeed.

A Metal Mother's Day

2007-05-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Motherhood. "I love the universality of it. There are very few women in the world that I can't have a conversation with now." Wise, wonderful words spoken by relatively new mom Jennifer Garner. I love that statement, it is so true. Motherhood (or, parenthood in general) opens your life not only to new feelings you never knew you had and the experiences of raising a child that are simultaneously awe-inspiring and frightening, but it also opens yourself to others. Most of my dear friends I have I've met through my children. Children give you the excuse to talk to a complete stranger in a park, to strike up a conversation with someone that, for the mere fact that you both have children, you have something in common. Makes the world seem a little smaller, a little cozier, doesn't it?

I had a very nice Mother's Day. I really don't believe in making a big fuss out of these sorts of occasions, so we usually just keep things simple...but my family always makes a big fuss over me, and that is darn sweet. This morning I woke up to some lovely cards AND chocolate from each family member--Nice! I also treated myself to some perfume that I've been pining over since we did that 'smelling' on the podcast, I believe I mentioned it on a previous post. It's called Do Son, made by Diptyque. Heaven, my friends, pure spring-flower freshness heaven. I think I sprayed it on twice today, I couldn't get enough. I was worried originally that it may be too light, but actually a full-blast spritz does last quite a while. So that was a nice splurge for myself.

We started off at choich this morning, then spent the afternoon in Purgatory. It's true. There is this amazing wooded area with lots of trails to tread, and it's called Purgatory. You've gotta love that. We took Digby and we all enjoyed walking in the breezy sunshine. It actually got quite hot today! From there we went to the cemetary. The kids have wanted to explore the cemetary we see when we're at the lakes for quite some time now, so we thought today was a good day. We found Cory's grandma and grandpa's grave markers, it was nice. I used to be so afraid of cemetaries as a kid--too many ghost stories, I guess. Now I find them so beautiful and peaceful. And hey, it's not every day you get to purgatory and the cemetary in the same day....well, maybe it is!!!!

For dinner we perused my favorite Byerly's for a Bit of This and a Bit of That Dinner. I love those. Where you just go through the store and pick and choose things from the deli, chinese food counter, sushi counter, whatever...YUM. It feels so luxurious! Sushi, a bit of some Sunflower Pasta Salad, fresh pineapple and ice cream bars for dessert. All on the patio. I don't think it gets much better than that. What a lucky Mommy I am, not to mention the fact that I have the most amazing kids on the planet that have made Mother's Day possible. And I guess with Purgatory and the cemetary, it was a very Metal Mother's Day. Nice!!!

Pretty in Man Salmon

2007-05-08T07:48:00.000-05:00

You know, when your kids play hookey it can actually be kind of fun. Well, okay, Vivian wasn't exactly playing hookey...she IS sick with strep throat, poor girl. But thankfully she doesn't get deathly ill with it, it always starts as a sore throat, then comes the headache and a bit of a sore tummy. None of that throwing up stuff, which can often go along with the virus. (thank goodness!) So she's sick enough not to have a lot of energy or go to school, but still wants to hang around and play games, watch TV (but of course!), that sort of thing.

Yesterday morning we started The Lost Boys. It's an 80's movie that I just knew she would love, being so into the macabre as she is. That movie--at least in my humble opinion--definitely stands the test of time. It's the perfect mix of horror (which of course compared to today's standards is SO tame...and about what I can handle now in my autumn years) and humor. Great writing, great acting, lots of fun. I watched it first, since I hadn't seen it in so long, trying to see it through an 11 year old's eyes to see if it was okay for her. Of course we all have our own standards as to what's okay and I'm sure to some it wouldn't be. There is language and some implied hanky-panky goin' on, but watching it together feels okay to me. My little girl is growing up!

After Sully came home, it was game time. Nothing like an afternoon with some Cadoo and Chutes and Ladders. Of course come summer, we'll be doing this all the time! But there is something about doing fun things like that when you are supposed to be doing something responsible, like going to school. It's not me missing school, of course, but I can live vicariously through my kids. :-)

Today I sent Sullivan to school in his new pink polo. (speaking of the 80's!) I'm not sure how the Coreman feels about Sullivan donning that feminine color, but I think it's the cutest thing ever. I told Sullivan if anyone gives him grief about wearing pink he should reply, "It's not pink, it's Man Salmon." I think that really sunk in because he was saying just that at the bus stop.

Rise, Shine, and Shiver

2007-05-07T07:27:00.000-05:00

Okay, groggily sipping my coffee in my morning stupor, I did NOT need to read this news story. This is what urban myths are made of. And just now as I type this and my sweet son eats his morning waffle, he casually mentions that last night he was roused by the feeling of something crawling across his face!!!!!!!! I hadn't even mentioned this story to him. I just don't even think there is anymore to say about that. All I know is that I'll be itching my ears all day long now. UG!

Can You Smell Me?

2007-05-01T11:31:00.000-05:00

What a day! There it is, until it gets beastly hot around here (which sadly, won't be too long from now) I am going to make you all nuts by raving about the glorious weather on every post. I mean, who couldn't? Sunny, breezy, in the 70's...perfection. I would be a very happy camper indeed if it never got hotter than this. Do I really need to don a bathing suit?? nah. A t-shirt and shorts or a skirt do me just fine, thank you. Let's leave the bikinis for the young single-without-children ladies. Although...I do have to say I'm looking forward to some chillin' with my peeps by Stephanie's pool....!!

Our latest podcast is live, and I have to say, it was great fun this time. Who am I kidding, it's ALWAYS fun, but I got to be EXTRA girlie on this one and rave about perfume. I recently got in touch with Robin from Now Smell This, an amazing perfume blog, and we did sort of a perfume sniffing (sort of like a wine tasting!). I told her what I liked and disliked in perfumes, and she sent me some samples to try based on that information. Oh, I have some fragrances that I enjoy but a girl is always looking for a new scent. (at least this girl is.) I know my taste in perfume definitely has been changing over time, and often--like a cup of coffee--I never quite get to the bottom of a bottle before I'm done with it. Right now I would love a nice light spring/summer scent to celebrate this glorious season. I'm going to make you listen to the podcast to get the inside information--did Robin pick my new scent? How many tampons up did I rate each one, and why??--because I know you are all burning with desire to hear the end result. Let's just say I'm thinking a new perfume just might be the perfect Mother's Day gift...ahem...:-) Actually I could really and truly care less about getting gifts on those 'must prove your love' occasions...lets face it, when you are happily married with fabulous children you certainly don't need proof that you are loved. (lucky me!) That said, a new scent is my latest Quest. My poor husband....:-)

So! Stay tuned, not only will you get to find out the results of my perfume quest (lucky you!) but eventually you will get to hear Stephanie and Kim give their rants and raves over some samples as well. Huzzah!

Susie Homemaker and the Poisonous Cake

2007-04-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, nothing better than a perfect spring day in Minnesota. Especially when the weekend is kicked off hanging out on the patio with your peeps after recording another podcast and enjoying some homemade coconut lemon cake that you've slaved away for and your friends actually like. Success! Don't ask me why, but the weather was completely amazing yesterday afternoon so I felt compelled to stay in the house and bake a cake. huh?! However, being the paranoid that I am, I was fretting about leaving it out, as the lemon filling in the center was made with egg. Stephanie kept insisting that it was fine...even so, I still put the cake in the fridge over night.

This morning I found 2 emails from my ever-lovin' peeps, both saying they were sick last night!!!!! Of course my first thought was The Cake--even though Coreman and I had both had some and were absolutely fine. Just when I was wondering if I should throw the rest of it away, I get another email from Stephanie saying, "GOTCHA!" Maven of Mischief cooked up a little plan to freak me out into thinking I poisoned my friends. nice. They got me, all right! Too hilarious. You just can't let your guard down around that friend of mine. Too bad I'm so damn gullible, and am never able to retaliate. You guys will have to help me think of something for revenge....

It must have been the 'drilles. That's my new name for my espadrilles, thanks to Kim. It sounds much more metal, don't you think? With them on I am about 4 inches taller than Kim, which she wasn't too happy about. :-)

Sully's Flying Box

2007-04-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

My little inventor. Sullivan's school had it's annual "Imagination and Inventor's Fair" last night. The cutest. The kids can enter anything their little brains can dream up--and of course every year there are at least 2 erupting volcanos. (Vivian had one of those in the past!) Sullivan came up with the idea of The Flying Box, a box that can fly anywhere in the world. With a *little* help from his dad, he had transformed a simple dog kennel into quite the contraption for he and Digby to travel the world in--complete with switches, maps, food dishes and of course a plunger to steer. He had a list of places he wanted to go...of course most kids probably would have said Disneyland, Grandma's house...not my Sully. His list included Algeria (to see the Sahara Desert, of course!), Italy, Oman, (?!) and even McDonald island, which I learned is not a place full of cheeseburgers, but a teeny island near Antarctica. huh. Who knew?! Sullivan also wrote a story to tell a bit about his adventures, so people could get a good idea of what it really was. I just have to share--Sullivan told me the story, and I just typed up what he said:
--------------------------------------------------------------

SULLY AND DIGBY IN A FLYING BOX

One time Sully and Digby went in a box to fly to somewhere. The box was very special because it could fly anywhere they wanted.

Digby looked around the box. He sniffed, too. Then Sully turned on all of his switches. Engine One, Engine Two, Engine Three, and he turned on the switch with the rockets. With the rockets burning and the lights on, Here we come around the world!

Digby was very excited to look out the window, and he did. Digby saw mountains down there. They were flying over the whole arctic. Sullivan said, “Hold on, Digby, we’re coming into a landing!”

“Let’s look around”, said Sullivan. So they looked around the arctic. They saw penguins and polar bears. One fierce looking polar bear headed straight toward them! “Ahh, quick! To our flying box!” said Sullivan. “Come on, Digby!” So they rushed in the flying box as fast as they could. They rushed away from the arctic. “Let’s go to a desert,” Sullivan said.

So they went to the Sahara desert in Algeria. They saw big rocks of sand. So the two little mountain climbers climbed up one of those rocks. They slid down the other side. “Weeee! What fun!”, said Sullivan.

When they got back to Minnesota they landed right in front of a sewer. “Let’s go inside!” said Sullivan. So the two went inside the sewer. “Yuck,” said Sullivan when some squishy mold dropped on his hand. They saw tarantulas in there, Huntsman spiders, and wolf spiders. “Let’s get out of here!” So they rushed back to their box. “Let’s go home.” So they went back home with their Mom.
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(he just HAD to put the spiders in there! ug!) Is my boy clever, or what?! It was quite the hit, although of course kids were looking all over for Digby himself who was quite pooped out from all of his adventuring and stayed at home. A big thanks to his loving Daddy who spent so much time and energy working with Sullivan on this project. You gotta love it when the man says, "let me do this one". ahhhh.

Maybe next year I should enter my flying box...*gasp*! Did I say that?! ;-)

Metal Mommy Gone Muffy

2007-04-25T13:31:00.000-05:00

OK, I know many of you have your own image of me, and with this post it may be shattered. I couldn't help myself, I have succumbed to the fickle fashion-of-the-moment. I never thought I would be saying this, but it's true...I bought a pair of espadrilles. Espadrilles! Not only have I always hated the word itself, but in the past I always thought they were just plain butt-ugly, only something someone named Muffy would wear. Certainly not a Heavy Metal Mommy. But then Stephanie showed up last summer in some very sexy ones...between that and much In Style magazine brainwashing, I have decided that some espadrilles are pretty darn cool. So there it is. I still don't like the word, but I do love my espadrilles. And I will still make them metal, mark my words.

THE Funniest Thing Ever

2007-04-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

...well, at least for today. Or maybe the week. Possibly the year?? Google Current did a schtick on the whole Susle Flynn thing. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, a certain young girl is 'running for president', with the hopes of getting health insurance for the 9 million children in America that don't have it. It's a very worthy cause, and if you go to electsusie.com, you'll see that the whole campaign is nothing to laugh about. But anyone has to admit that this Current thing is just the best--check it out:

Susie Smear!

Ah yes, this girl is near and dear to my heart...;-)

The Road Goes Ever On...!

2007-04-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

Now this is news...a new Tolkien book is being published!!! I'm so excited! No, the man has not risen from the dead to pick up pencil and paper again--ghost writer, indeed!--but his son Christopher has pieced together more of his writings that were never previously published. This was the case with "The Silmarillion", which quite honestly was a bear to read...it was more of a history book than anything else, giving the reader background to the peoples of Middle Earth and how it all began. Supposedly The Children of Hurin is written more 'story-like', as the Rings trilogy is. Now if only someone would find some lost Chaucer that would solve the mystery...which story WAS the winner of the Canterbury Tales??

Today this post could have also been titled "Metal Mommy Goes to School"...as I went into Sullivan's school this morning to help out in the classroom. As it turns out I helped outside of the classroom, in the hallway covering at least 30 tagboards with construction paper. Ah well, it was good tedious daydreaming work, and I know it was a big help to the teachers--so that felt good. Plus I always get a dose of My Friend Kim to brighten the old day.

The Peeps, the Zoo and some Spew

2007-04-14T19:28:00.000-05:00

Friday night at Stephanie's...now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!!! Steph invited Kim and I over for some delicious apps, lovely wine, and amazing laughs and conversation. Woo! I honestly can't think of a better way to spend an evening. Thank you thank you, Steph! You always treat us like queens!!!

A spring-like weekend, ahhh. We Minnesotans are especially thankful for it, after the tease we had only to be slapped in the face with yet another snowstorm. But then again, what would we have to talk about if it weren't the weather?! Yesterday the kids and I graced the Minnesota Zoo with our presence. It was the perfect day for it...and apparently everyone agreed, as it was so darn crowded. Ah well, it didn't keep us from enjoying the tiger that is literally on the other side of the glass right in front of you, or the new farm babies which included THE CUTEST little black baby lambs.

Today, an uneventful one. Sullivan did grace the sanctuary of the church with his stomach contents. Cory got the pleasure of taking him home and dealing with it, (bless him!) but when I arrived in the house he was eating his lunch happily and it must have indeed been the effects of the Sit and Spin he partook in whilst he played in the nursery before church. Lovely. Just another day in the life of a Metal Mommy.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

Or, if you don't celebrate the holiday, Happy Just Another Sunday. Of course to most of us the holiday seems to celebrate spring and candy more than anything else, with just a little dash-o' Jesus sprinkled in there for good measure. I have my own personal struggles with the whole thing, (or stuggles, I should say...gotta listen to the podcast to get that one) being the Jewthran that I am, but any way you look at it the message of hope is a good thing. I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and watching Blood Diamond last night before bed didn't help the situation. When you think about the horrible things that so many people feel justified to do to others, it's enough to take your breath away. This world is full of them. But, it is also filled with many wonderful people as well. Many of them kind people like you! People who take time out of your busy days to read this blog, giving a rip about me and my life, sometimes leaving comments that totally brighten my day. It's the little things, people, and I'm appreciative! Maybe someday, someday, someday, we can all feel the love and there can be peace on earth. It's hard to even imagine, but I'm not going to give up hope!!!

All Jupiter's Fault

2007-04-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

Oh, of course! Jupiter entered Sagittarius, that's why I'm feeling the way I am! I was going to say that, actually, but I didn't want to make you all feel too stupid. Check out part of this email I got from astrology.com today:

Restless? Feeling the need to seek greener pastures? You're not alone. Ever since Jupiter entered Sagittarius, the sign of the traveler and the explorer, on November 23, 2006, we've all been itching to get away. You most likely have pals who've recently fled to some exotic locale or taken serious steps to find a more fulfilling career. If you're been deliberating your own move -- whether it's taking that trip to Mexico or getting an MBA -- it's crucial that you take notice of the next big astrological event: From April 5 to August 6, Jupiter is going retrograde into Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer.

Well then! No wonder I've been dying to start something new for myself and one of my best pals has been having so many darn vacations lately. It's all because of that crazy Jupiter. It's a good thing Jupiter wasn't entering Uranus, who knows what kind of shenanigans would be going on.

Happy Birthday Vivian!!

2007-04-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

How is it possible that I have an 11 year old daughter?! Good grief, an official 'tween'. Right about this time 11 years ago I was heading to the hospital for my scheduled birth. I was about a week late, and the doctor was worried that the baby would get too big! I was 3 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced for 2 weeks, I kid you not. (I know this means nothing to people who have never had children, but bear with me. no pun intended.) Believe you me, I was ready. I wasn't thrilled about the idea that it wasn't going to happen as nature intended, but, there it is. For a person who thrives on being over-prepared, it was kind of nice to try to make myself get a good night's sleep the night before, and get up to eat a healthy light breakfast like a good pregnant-lady-getting-ready-to-give-birth should.

As it is as I stood in the kitchen my water broke on its own. Nothing dramatic, thank goodness...no amniotic fluid gushing all over the floor. But I was quite happy knowing that that day and time was meant to be after all. And speaking of amniotic fluid gushing, one of the funniest memories I have of that day is that very thing happening after I got to the hospital. I had my lovely hospital gown on, had been poked and prodded and told that yes indeed, my water had broken and I was having mild contractions, when I decided to again be a good pregnant-lady-getting-ready-to-give-birth and get up to use the bathroom. As I started to walk across the floor, GUSH. Coreman stood there horrified, saying, "Gross!!!!!" Of course that made me laugh and laugh, and I slipped and slid my way to the bathroom. What a sight that must have been.

About 6 1/2 hours later, our little daughter was part of this world. A HUGE part of this world, at over 9 pounds. I remember upon delivery the nurses couldn't wait to weigh her, saying, "This could be a 10 pounder!" Like I gave birth to a fish or something. Vivian was born with a huge thatch of black hair--what a cutie!

And now, 11 years later, that little baby has grown into an amazing girl. Loving, smart, clever, witty, talented, beautiful. Am I lucky or what?! Remind me of all of this when she turns 14.

The Como Zoo and a Nasty Spider

2007-03-31T17:37:00.000-05:00

Brrr, 'tis a cold and rainy Saturday...but that will not keep this family down, no sir! After a lounge-around kind of morning we braved the chilly drizzle and headed out to the Como Zoo. We started out in the conservatory with the plants--it was plenty warm and humid in there!--and checked out the new rain forest exhibit. VERY cool. (or, not.!) It was so refreshing to see green and the bright colors of beautiful flowers. Amidst the adorable turtles and fish, however, was the biggest f-ing tarantula I have ever seen. It was in a side-tipped bucket and was kind of hunched up, but I swear if this thing spread out its legs it would be the size of a small dinner plate. UG! Reminds me of an image I saw a while back that has haunted me ever since...what was hinted to be behind the clock, and then what was revealed. There are no words ladies and gentlemen, no words. All I can say is that if I had something like this in my home, I would leave and never come back.

So instead, we'll go back to the lovely images that my daughter took today whilst at the zoo.

Another Reason to Love Coach

2007-03-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

Today whilst shopping at the mall for Vivian's upcoming birthday, Ms. Coach and I just HAD to stop in her mother store. I wanted to see if they had their new fragrance in yet, which of course they did. And of course, I love it. Ooooh, it has such a nice spring scent! It actually sort of reminds me of a more springy version of my beloved Juicy Couture scent. (which I have yet to buy...so far I've been living on 2 different samples. nice.) And of course it has amber in it, which is a note that seems to be included in every perfume a like. (but not Juicy, interestingly enough...)

After spraying it on, I asked if by any chance they had a sample for me to bring home. They gave me two. Total class! Reminds me of Nordstrom, when I went in there asking for a sample of the Juicy perfume I mentioned above. Where as the woman at the Macy's counter just shrugged and said "I'm sorry" when they ran out, the woman at Nordstrom just made me one by filling up a little blank sample bottle. Again, class! Those little things make a big difference when you are looking at quality service, no?

That's One Hot Turkey

2007-03-26T18:24:00.000-05:00

Wow. The day it's 79 degrees in March here in Minnesota is the day a wild turkey runs through your suburban yard. Oh wait...I guess the high really WAS a balmy 79 and we really DID have a wild turkey bolt through our yard! I kid you not, we were sitting having dinner and Digby let out a chuff--not too unusual, he's found his voice lately and barks a bit at passerby or random people coming to the door (it's so cute!)-- and there he was, Mr. Tom Turkey, looking like a little dinosaur as he jogged by. Hilarious! I don't know why but it really hit my funny-bone. It was so random! Unfortunately I couldn't get to my camera fast enough, so you'll have to gaze at this stock shot of a turkey instead of the real thing. We watched him go down a few yards and then he was out of sight. Good luck, Tom! I hope no one decides they want to gobble you up for their Easter dinner!!

Truly Spring

2007-03-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

You know it is truly spring when you don't even mind picking up poop in your back yard. Yes, at 62 degrees and sunny, it is INDEED spring. Wahoo! The kids have a couple of days off because of school conferences and they couldn't have picked better ones weather-wise. Yesterday we took a big long walk down to the park, Digby and all. He was amazing--he's come a long way in the walking department. He used to only get a few steps from our house then look back at it and whine. Not anymore! We played at the park, explored some trails behind it and came out into another park. There and back again! That's my kind of adventure.

This morning our house was blessed by Cooper-doo's presence, and he had quite an adoring audience. This afternoon, just chillin' and pickin' up poop. Life is (mostly!) good. (considering picking up poop isn't exactly a pleasurable experience..!)

My Field of Dreams

2007-03-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

Question for you...have you given much thought to your 'Field of Dreams' lately? No, not the corn field that you could turn into a ball field in your back yard...the Field of Dreams is the title I've given to my list of things I'd most like to do in my life. For me it's been number one on my mind recently, an obsession if you will. (me? Obsess???) For whatever reason--40, the on-coming spring (which of course means new beginnings), my son soon to be in all-day school--I feel like I must be having a mid-life crisis or something, just craving something I can call my own. Oh, of course I love being an at-home Mom and wouldn't have it any other way--but, it's time. And of course I only want the perfect job...one that is creative, not stagnant, challenges me, and not 9-5. (I do want to be home when my kids get home from school.) Is that too much to ask? I've often heard when you are trying to 'figure out who you are', you should write down anything that comes to your mind, no matter how crazy or impossible it seems. So here is my list:

1) My ultimate number one job would be to have my own View-like talk show. It wouldn't have to be national, I'd settle for something local only. :-) I can't imagine anything more fun than getting paid to hang with some cool women (and of course it would be women that I choose!!), chat with interesting guests, report on the goings-ons of celebrities and things around the world/my city. I love the hustle bustle and ultimate primping that goes along with show business.

2) In this vein I would like to take my talk to the radio. Ever since I started Feminine Hijinx I've had the broadcasting bug...and getting into the final 10 of fm107's Undiscovered Divas and doing a one hour live spot made it so close...but yet, since Kim and I didn't win the grand prize, so far. For a while I was pretty bummed about that and not feeling very inspired, but recently I've decided I'm not going to give up that easily!

3) I'd love to write a column for a magazine or web site, or a blog for that matter. I don't care what it's about, just let me write! As you can probably tell, I LOVE to write. Getting paid to ramble on and on would just be so cool, woudn't it???

4) I've written a children's book called "Sugar and Spice" that maybe someday I'll get off my keester and work a little harder on getting published. That is such a daunting task for me. Like most creative people I'm sure, creating is the easy part--it's the marketing and homework-doing that's required to actually make something happen with it that is so difficult. I started an audio recording of it that I thought I'd use to release myself and maybe shop around to publishers, but that soon got over-shadowed by Warbride. Now that Warbride seems on hold indefinitely, I need to get back to that.

So much to think about, so little time! But it's fun to dream, isn't it? For me it's all about taking that big step back into the work-world after so much time off with my kids, knowing that the world really is my oyster, and where do I begin? Maybe for you you are already working/doing something that you enjoy but would like to explore more. With my new-found 40 metal attitude, I've decided I don't want to just dream anymore and I want to take steps to coming as close to my dreams as possible. Who knows what will happen, but it sure is fun and satisfying to be trying. I have to give a big thanks to my new friend Donna who has given me such a (loving!) kick-in-the butt. I'm telling you, an inspiring friend can go a long, long way. I am so lucky to have inspiring and supportive friends and family in my life. A cheering section on the sidelines of your field really can keep you motivated!

G-d, I sound like a Life Coach or something. (which is actually something ELSE I've thrown around in my head!!!) But this is what has been on my mind lately, and lucky you faithful and curious readers have to be privy. Now go out there and till your field!

Chuck E Cheese and Death

2007-03-17T15:13:00.000-05:00

Long time no see, my friends...or type, I guess I should say. Sorry it's been so long, it's been quite the busy week around here. Between 2 visits to the vet for poor Digs, a doctor visit for Sullivan, a birthday party and visit from my mother-in-law, an art show of Vivian's...not to mention the fact that the sun is out and it was actually above 40 for quite a stretch there, so it was pretty hard to be sitting here at the kitchen table on my computer instead of out in the spring weather.

Sullivan's birthday celebrations went from his bowling party the day before his birthday to visiting good old Chuck E Cheese on his actual day. Because we didn't eat there (see previous post) and just concentrated on getting down to game-playing (and money-wasting) business on a not-so busy night, I dare say it was actually enjoyable. (plus I had my hand-sanitizer, so I felt covered. Don't leave home without it!!) I have to admit even I get sucked into the gambling-type game playing frenzy, using some of Sullivan's tokens to collect a few tickets myself. I hit the jackpot on one game and had tickets coming out of my ears! Of course what Sullivan cashed them in for has already broken (!) but just playing the games is really the point. (isn't it??) I'd say we have about 3 more years of Chuck E Cheese before it starts to lose it's allure, so I suppose I can try to have a good attitude about it. Someday I'll be lamenting, "Awww....remember when we used to go to Chuck E Cheese?" I just know the sentimental part of me will kick in.

This morning we had the pleasure of taking in art done by 5th and 6th graders at the local library. It's always fun going to those things and running into fellow parents and people of your own little community. I even saw an old Tae Kwon Do buddy there with his kids. Where did the time go?? Made me miss the ol' martial arts. How else can you run into someone who's ass you've kicked and they greet you with a hug? Actually, I think this guy kicked mine quite a few times...anyway, here's Viv with her awesome drawing of a deer skull, titled 'Death'. Why does that not surprise me?!

Happy 6th Birthday, Sullivan!!!

2007-03-12T10:42:00.000-05:00

Happy, happy birthday to my sweet, clever, amazingly smart and loving little boy! Hard to believe he's six. Six! There's something about passing that 'five' age that just seems so BIG. Sullivan was up bright and early asking if he looked any different. :-) I brought him to school with his birthday treat--blueberry cupcakes!! Most kids would want something laden with sugar like cupcakes or cookies, but that's my unpredictable son for you. He's my box of chocolates--you never know what you're gonna get.

We had a great bowling party yesterday at Park Tavern, complete with gutter guards and ramps to let the balls down. That's my kind of handicap. ( I like to tell myself that banking the ball off the gutter guard in just the right way is a skill in itself.) The kids all seemed to have a good time bowling, eating pizza and cake, and pulling the strings on the car pinata. Well, I guess I can say that Sullivan had a good time pulling the strings on the car pinata since he was the only kid to do it. Being the birthday boy he of course got the first turn...and on that first turn he hit the jackpot and opened it up! Why do I feel like I got cheated out of a $20 pinata?! How very 21st Century, really...instant gratification!

Tonight Sullivan's request was Chuck E Cheese. sigh. What will make it more tolerable is Coreman's genius idea that we will eat dinner here and then just go to play. Less worrying I have to do about the transfering of germs as they go from touching those games that every kid has just touched after wiping their snotty noses or poopy bottoms without washing their hands to eating bad pizza. shudder. We are already treating the kid for strep throat, we don't need some other bug on top of that. You've gotta love birthdays during the cold and flu season.

A Girl and Her Guitar

2007-03-06T19:31:00.000-06:00

Vivian did pretty darn well with her commercial job and we told her that though most of it is going into the bank for future investment, she was allowed to spend some of it on something special. Here's Vivian with her very first electric guitar! (and check out that rock and roll hair! It was 'Wacky Hair Day" at school!) I say first guitar because maybe it will be one of many?? My girl has wanted a guitar for some time now, and promises me that she will stick with it. hmmmm. Well, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. But hey, she paid for it and she'll be paying for her lessons, so, there it is. It felt funny going into Guitar Center again, it's been many a year...and not even for me, but for my kid! If that isn't a slap in the face from Father Time, I don't know what is. But any self-pity I felt for my old self melted away when I saw the look on Vivian's face as she held her black beauty and strummed her first---chord?!---through the amp, loud and distorted. Yes, she is my child. She went right past the 'clean' setting on the amp and selected 'metal' straight away. Of course I probably would have wanted something a bit more girlie looking--at least sparkly, pearly black--but that's okay. I guess if she were too much like me it would be a little scary. Maybe one of these days I'll have to sneak up into Viv's room and plug in my old guitar, the one I bought from Nikki Wikkid of Slaveraider back in the day.